Advantages and disadvantages of buying dual SIM phones

Maybe you travel frequently and would like to answer your cell phone without worrying about paying crazy international charges on your original data plan.

Whatever the case, if you’ve found yourself needing two lines but don’t want to keep track of two phones (or don’t want to pay for another phone), buying a phone that can take two SIM cards might be something to consider. . These are the benefits and drawbacks of having a dual SIM cell.

ADVANTAGE: You can expand your network. If you have two SIM cards following two different networks, there are hardly any coverage gaps. If you live in an area that has poor coverage regardless of network, or like to travel to remote places, this is great for those who hate dropped calls, and who doesn’t? This is also good in emergencies when you need to make a call right away.

DISADVANTAGE: Battery life may be shortened. Newer phones have mitigated much of these issues, but models could be affected by as much as a third, especially if they’re older.

Also, there are different types of dual SIM capabilities to consider: the more active your second SIM card is, the more battery it will consume. A standard dual SIM will consume the least amount of battery, and each SIM will be completely inactive until you choose to manually change your SIM cards. Dual standby mode will keep one SIM active when in use and the other will be ready to go. And dual active will keep both cards running simultaneously, so it will obviously consume the most power, especially if one card can connect to a network but the other card is stuck searching.

ADVANTAGE: Flexibility of two plans, logistics of one. It’s hard enough keeping track of both your phone and your keys – who wants to add a second phone to the equation? An active dual SIM phone even gives you the flexibility to take a call from someone on one network and simply put it on hold if you need to simultaneously call someone using the second card. Plus, if you currently use your personal phone for business and have to prove your usage on your bill, that’s no longer a problem. Your second SIM means you get two completely separate bills.

DISADVANTAGE: You may have to import it. Dual SIM phones are mostly made overseas, in countries like China, because that’s where they became popular. There are some available through Motorola and Lenovo, but many of them may lack the same support as their foreign counterparts. And if you don’t mind shopping abroad, keep in mind that you might still incur additional shipping costs and/or import taxes.

BENEFIT: Less hassle when using your phone abroad. You no longer have to worry about how many minutes you have on your international data plan. If you have a secondary slot open, simply go to a store in whatever new country you happen to be in and buy a local prepaid SIM card. With no monthly fee or contract, you can use whatever amount of data, talk time and text you’ve purchased, and you should be able to simply drop by any cell phone store to add more once you’ve used up your local plan. Just make sure you try to buy a SIM card from a big carrier in that country to get good coverage.