Dual Sim Phones Explained

Dual SIM (Subscriber Identity Modules) phones are those that allow you to fit two SIMs in a single handset simultaneously. They are a fantastic way of keeping call charges down, enjoying the benefits of more than one network, and provide business users with a way to keep work and personal calls separated.

Here, we’ll guide through the whys and wherefores of Dual SIM phones to help you decide if they’re right for your needs.

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Dual SIM phones explained

Before the advent of dual SIM mobiles, changing SIM required that phone owners removed the back cover of their handset, as well as the battery, to do so. What’s more, they were only able to use SIMs on different networks if they had bought an unlocked mobile.

Dual SIM phones & savings

Perhaps the greatest selling point of dual SIM phones is the cost savings they can offer. Imagine you have a number of friends with Vodafone phones and another set with O2 phones. By fitting your Dual SIM mobile with Vodafone and O2 SIMs, you can benefit from cheaper same network calls whoever you’re ringing. And the same goes for text messages, too.

Choose a dual SIM mobile and you’ll also be able to have two numbers without having to pay for two separate mobiles. You could, for instance, use one number for work calls only and reserve the other one for friends, family and everyone else.

Dual SIM phones & travelling abroad

People who travel extensively, whether for work or pleasure, can really benefit from a dual SIM phone by using a SIM from a foreign network in their handset. This way they’ll be able to make local calls for cheaper rates whenever they’re away.

What's more, because their handset will also be housing a UK SIM, they will be reachable at all times by friends and family on their regular number.

Dual SIMs & Skype

Skype is a new technology that enables users to make free calls over the internet. Dual SIM phones are ideal for people who favour Skype, since they allow them to fit their handsets with a standard SIM in one slot and a Skype SIM in the other.

Network provider 3 has pioneered Skype and dual SIM mobiles in the UK, with well regarded phones such as the S2 Skypephone.

Who makes dual SIM mobiles?

Dual SIM phones are rarer than standard handsets. But that’s not to say that would-be buyers don’t have a range of great phones to choose from.

Dual SIM phones periodically come to market from most major manufacturers including Sony Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung and LG and are often very affordably priced too.

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