Anyone know anything about dual sim phones ?

[Shayne]

I had never heard of dual sim mobile phones before today but with a business in the Isle of Man and living in the UK it's either carry 2 phones all the time or pay ludicrous roaming charges as well as the person calling getting charged . I've been searching the web and fancy one of these http://www.ecrater.co.uk/p/19322102/unlocked-samsung-anycall-c6112c-dual?gps=1 because its very similar to the phone i have used for years - it has buttons and everything

What i can't seem to find out is if both phone numbers will remain active all the time or do i have to choose one number to be active while the other remains dormant and press a button to swap sims depending on my location ?

If its one active and one dormant i would be no better off and will have to stick with 2 phones .

 

[jonnyboy54321]

Hi Shayne.
I actually have a dual sim phone.
Not with buttons, but a touchscreen.
Its a Samsung s4 mini.
Previously had an S3 full size.
I bought lightly used on the 'bay for about 200 euros.
Had spoken to all the suppliers and high street shops and no-one will stock them cos they want to make money on the roaming.
I got it as I run two businesses and I wanted some separation.
I've taken a screenshot to add to this post.
Both sims are active constantly, you prioritise one, and you can text from either sim.
One day I will get to grips with the settings properly as there is one thing that miffs me - if I return a call, or use the call log to make a second call, it doesn't automatically realise that I used say the second sim for that number and will always use the default first one. Same from contacts. Yet from the dial a number keypad it has two call buttons for sim one and two. Unless I manually change before using the call list. Whereby when you text there are always two sim options. Been guilty of rushing texts and sending from wrong sim a few times!
Other than that I absolutely love it. One phone. One pocket. One charger. One memory card.
Job done.

 

[jonnyboy54321]

You can see the two sets of signal indicator at the top and the wee blue icon shows Sim 1 (o2) as priority


You can see that you type the message and then press either envelope 1 (in my case o2), or envelope 2 (tescomobile)

 

[Graham]

Yeah,
I know that most folk in China have dual or triple simm phones.

Single simm now is old hat.

Gra

 

[Shayne]

Hmmm not convinced having a touchscreen phone wouldn't prove more frustrating than having to carry 2 phones but thanks for that Jonny .

 

[Philip A]

Around here, everybody and his dog has a dual sim phone, most with buttons... Which are still the fastest way to make a call or send a sms.Both numbers are active, and you can see from which line the incoming call is coming. You select a line as the priority line, which is the one used by default to make calls, but the second line is available with a couple of clicks.

 

[yogi]

Hmmm not convinced having a touchscreen phone wouldn't prove more frustrating than having to carry 2 phones but thanks for that Jonny .

Shayne, I have one word for you about a touch screen phone................ DON'T!!!

My partner has one and I just cannot work the bloody thing, she loves it though, but it just will never do what I'm asking it to do.

 

[Chas]

I don't know why there seems to be a fear of touch screen phones, I've had two so far a Galaxy S3 and now an S4 I like them, what's the difference between touching a button or a section of the screen.

 

[Shayne]

I'm with you Yogi my better half loves her S4 despite the fact it took her over a month to work out how to answer a call , she had phone everyone back and ask her the time and it will take her 10 minutes to find it in her phone . I guess it takes a little finesse Chaz and i can use touchscreen if i must but i fail 100% to recognize why anyone thinks they are and improvement over buttons - if want to call someone back or send a text i open my phone and press a button job done , with touchscreen i must draw a pattern on the screen to open - then swipe the screen - then open the contacts or messages apps - then i can begin making umpteen mistakes on a phone that might break if i look at it with anything other than loving gentle eyes . Oriental crap is my opinion , they also pluck instead of shave and eat raw fish , i'm a Celt all my washing whatever colour goes in the machine together on a boil wash if it don't survive it wasn't worth having anyway and precision means tap it gently with a big hammer

Seriously i was hoping someone had experience of the phone in the link ?

 

[Gary820]

I like the touch screen, rarely use anything with buttons tbh! Everything at work is touch screen, my phone, my computer even clock on at work with touch screen lol.

 

[clivehorridge]

I'm frustrated that apple don't do a dual sim i-Phone. I carry two phones all the time and soon it will be three.

I don't understand the comments on roaming though, that surely depends on where you are not what phone hardware you're using...

 

[Shayne]

Well i bought the phone in the link at the start of this thread as it seems the only way to find out if its any good , customer reviews on the web are about 50/50 good and bad but reading between the lines people who like simple function phone and text nothing else required say its good while people who want a phone to be a small ipad say its bad so i should suit me . I doubt very much it will prove a good buy though because despite everything on the ecrater website being in English paypal history shows only Chinese or Japanese characters so the likelihood is the phones gonna take weeks to arrive and when it does it will be a cheap copy . I bought a copy of my old phone when Samsung stopped making them and it lasted 2 weeks

 

[Chas]

a phone that might break if i look at it with anything other than loving gentle eyes .

Shayne, I just love your forthright manner. and that is NOT being sarcastic, I mean it.

 

[clivehorridge]

Shayne, I just love your forthright manner. and that is NOT being sarcastic, I mean it.

Me too Chas! Refreshing

 

[bmb]

I had a dual sim in the early. 90's. I didn't think you could get one anymore because the carriers count on roaming.

This was when cell service was regional and spotty where I'm at and it was essential to carry two lines in order to get a signal.
It got confusing sometimes. But as the big guys bought up the little ones it became less essential.
Good to know you can still do it for international. Etc

 

[vrecha]

As I have seen, the multiple SIM phone is a norm in developing countries.
My wife bought a 4-SIM phone in Burkina Faso and she is very satisfied with it, it has also TV receiver and lots of other stuff. I'm not very enthusiastic about the user interface, though.
Here in WS and Morocco there are many dual SIM phones, the NOKIA ones (Made in India) look very decent, both the UI and the built quality. At a price around 40 EUR for a new one I'm seriously considering buying one for me.

 

[Shayne]

The phone arrive today and i'm happy to report i am very impressed with it it replaces 2 very similar samsung slide phones (each with a different number) and i can't fault it the functions are virtually identical to my old phones with the addition of a button on the side to switch from one number to the other when phoning/txting out - incoming just shows me which number the caller rang , it couldn't be easier . The phone is slightly larger and a wee bit thicker than the samsung monte but that comes across as an altogether more sturdy phone so is a good thing . Theres nothing in the packing or phone itself that suggests it might not be a genuine samsung but i guess only time will tell .

 

[Shayne]

As predicted the phone lasted 3 weeks and is now only fit for the bin shame coz it ticked every box for me and now i'm back to carrying 2 phones everywhere i go .

 

[Ecoman]

Bad new Shayne. I would have thought t would have lasted longer than a few weeks

My missus has the Galaxy S3 and it takes some serious abuse off her. Might be worth investing in a dual sim version and get a lifeproof or Griffin cover for it.

 

[uHu]

I don't know why there seems to be a fear of touch screen phones, I've had two so far a Galaxy S3 and now an S4 I like them, what's the difference between touching a button or a section of the screen.

It's called Tactile Feedback. That's the difference. When you can feel where the buttons are, you can use it faster, or while keeping your eyes on the road.

Same with the HVAC buttons on the LC100 sans navi. The older ones with the three rotary switches can be used without looking. On the new one, you have to stop the car in order to use the buttons safely, because you have to see the display to know what you do with the buttons.