Though dual SIM card cell phones have been around for a while, they are mostly seen overseas. The idea is simple and very attractive, with two slots for two SIM cards; a single phone can have two phone numbers. You can receive and make calls or receive and send emails on both lines or have one line as your phone and another as your data pack; the great thing is the SIM cards can even be from separate carriers. what a great option for anyone who is currently packing around two phones, one for work and one personal, with a unlocked dual SIM phone you can now combine your work and personal phone. Not to mention if you are like me and travel overseas a lot than this type of phone is perfect. There is no need to purchase another phone while a broad, you simply purchase a pay as you go SIM card and put it in the extra slot when there.
With such advantages, it's a surprise to me that people have not been asking how they can get such a phone sooner. Outside of a handful of unlocked units, dual SIM card phones scarce in Canada and the United States. No Canadian or U.S. carrier sells them and I am willing to bet they have never told you about such a phone.
But now there are lots of options and phones available, some of the types consist of the BlackBerry curve 8310, which is an excellent phone, buy the way, the unlocked blackberry accommodates two SIM cards: one for the international SIM cards and one for another card of your choice. You could use your own SIM card for a GSM carrier like Rogers, AT&T or T-Mobile or as I mentioned earlier buy a prepaid card during your travels.
You name the phone chances are there is an unlocked version somewhere and if not an unlocked copy of it. The great thing about these types of phones is they are roughly half the price and can be used anywhere in the world. Only restriction is on the GSM frequencies that are offered. Most of the unlocked units are what they call quad band phones, this means they work on the GSM 850/900/1800/1900 bands, and these are the 4 GSM bands used around the world.
Unfortunately another restriction is due to some carriers using the CDMA band and not GSM. There are a few out there, which is to bad as they can now hold their current clients as hostages on style and price of phones they can purchase, this also allows them to set the price for they have no competition related to purchasing an unlocked phone from somewhere else. But for those of us who are already with a GSM provider the choices are now endless for what type of phone we want.
There are many dual SIM phones available for us to use now, some of my favourites are:
iPhone clone (i9)--basically a copy of the 1st-gen iPhone, with a bunch of stuff even the iPhone doesn't have... like an FM tuner, Java support, etc. The i9 is a "true" dual-SIM phone, meaning both SIMs can be active at one time. Most "dual SIM" phones can only have *one* SIM active at a time, with the other SIM on standby, this means you have to manually switch between them with the touch of a button.
The new iPhone 3Gs copy There are two types, 1st is the (Hi-Phone) comes with all the added features of the i9 but also has Wi-Fi ability,
2nd is the (Sc-iPhone) This unit has Everything the i9 and the Hi-Phone have plus it comes with built in GPS
You name the phone chances are there is an unlocked version somewhere and if not an unlocked copy of it. The great thing about these types of phones is they are roughly half the price and can be used anywhere in the world. Only restriction is on the GSM frequencies that are offered. Most of the unlocked units are what they call quad band phones, this means they work on the GSM 850/900/1800/1900 bands, and these are the 4 GSM bands used around the world.
Unfortunately another restriction is due to some carriers using the CDMA band and not GSM. There are a few out there, which is to bad as they can now hold their current clients as hostages on style and price of phones they can purchase, this also allows them to set the price for they have no competition related to purchasing an unlocked phone from somewhere else. But for those of us who are already with a GSM provider the choices are now endless for what type of phone we want.
There are many dual SIM phones available for us to use now, some of my favourites are:
iPhone clone (i9)--basically a copy of the 1st-gen iPhone, with a bunch of stuff even the iPhone doesn't have... like an FM tuner, Java support, etc. The i9 is a "true" dual-SIM phone, meaning both SIMs can be active at one time. Most "dual SIM" phones can only have *one* SIM active at a time, with the other SIM on standby, this means you have to manually switch between them with the touch of a button.
The new iPhone 3Gs copy There are two types, 1st is the (Hi-Phone) comes with all the added features of the i9 but also has Wi-Fi ability,
2nd is the (Sc-iPhone) This unit has Everything the i9 and the Hi-Phone have plus it comes with built in GPS
The great thing with these units is they are true dual SIM phones also.
They are Very well made; half the price and your friends can’t tell the difference.
They are Very well made; half the price and your friends can’t tell the difference.
