Dual SIM mobile phone

[Tomás Ó hÉilidhe-2]

I'm looking at getting a "dual SIM" mobile phone. I want to be able to
put two SIM cards into the phone, and to be able to have both SIM's
active at the same time. For instance, one minute I might receive a text
to my Irish SIM card, while the next I might receive a phone call on my
Thai SIM card.

Anyone got any experience with these "dual SIM" phones? Are there any
good ones out there?

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[CDB-3]

:: 'm looking at getting a "dual SIM" mobile phone. I want to be able
:: to
:: put two SIM cards into the phone, and to be able to have both SIM's
:: active at the same time. For instance, one minute I might receive
:: a text
:: to my Irish SIM card, while the next I might receive a phone call
:: on my
:: Thai SIM card.

Tomas, I have a dual SIM phone, and there are some things you need to
look out for.

First: there are two types of dual SIM [hone, one has both receivers
operating at all times, the other requires you to manually choose to
receive SIM A or B.  You also need to make sure that the always 'on'
type can record a missed incoming call from the SIM not being used in
a conversation at that time.

Second: There is a dual SIM phone that is produced for and provided by
a UK phone shop, these are quite good and I forget their name, but a
gluggle search for 'dual SIM UK' will bring them up eventually.

Third: For most phones you have to nominate a Master SIM and a
Secondary SIM. In practice with my phone this means that SIM A gets
full ergs on send and receive power, but SIM B, seems to struggle a
little bit.

Fourthly: Most of these phones are from one or two companies in China.
Mine is from a company called ZTC, it is not bottom of the range, but
neither is it the best. My problems are - it uses proprietary OS
(Windows like), which is not the best, menus don't always take you
where you expect, and the touch screen tool, is poorly coded as it
never takes you back to the home screen, but to a menu choice.

The batteries (it came with two) do not last very long once you've
taken or made a phone call, a 5 minute conversation can drain the
battery, though standby is about a week. It is hard to tell whether it
is the phone or the phone company, but it doesn't always register
voicemails or missed calls, can take up to a day, for the SIM B to
notify - I suspect it is the phone, as the phone company used was the
same, thoug one SIM is badged as Virgin, in reality they are Optus,
who the SIM A is provided by.

You also need to check, what GSM frequency Thailand uses, I suggest
getting at least a double band phone and if possible a triband. For
the expense, you might as well get one that can be used even in the
USA.  Oh yes my one has a unique Chinese feature in its' organiser
menue, that is a fertility prediction gizmo, I tell it when I had my
last menses, what today's date is and it obligingly informs me when I
am most likely to be fertile in pretty colours on the calendar. I
suspect I might have purchased a phone intended for female users.
Appaerently the Chinese phone companies sell (so I am told) male and
female orientated mobiles.

Colin
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[Roger, in Bangkok]

In that scenario Tomás I suggest you wait until you get here.  AIS is the
only carrier (thank you Mr. Thaksin) license for dual SIM, and you have to
set it up through them on their equipment.  It's still technically unlawful
to import any communications device to Thailand without a special permit and
license.  That's not often enforced, but the penalties are too high and the
work arounds too easy to ignore with any wisdom.  You will find that most
people simply carry 2 or more cell phones rather than draw attention to
themselves and raise unnecessary questions:-)

Regards/Roger, in Bangkok

On Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 6:21 AM, Tomás Ó hÉilidhe <toe@...> wrote:

>
> I'm looking at getting a "dual SIM" mobile phone. I want to be able to
> put two SIM cards into the phone, and to be able to have both SIM's
> active at the same time. For instance, one minute I might receive a text
> to my Irish SIM card, while the next I might receive a phone call on my
> Thai SIM card.
>
> Anyone got any experience with these "dual SIM" phones? Are there any
> good ones out there?
>
> --
> http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
> View/change your membership options at
> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist
>

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