It is increasingly common to find Android Dual SIM mobileswhich are nothing more than terminals in which you can put two SIM cards, each with its own telephone number, operator and corresponding tariff.
While the question will sound like an eccentricity to some, Dual SIM phones have several advantages. Below we’ll tell you their virtues, what to consider when buying one, and how you can configure them to get the most out of them.
What is a Dual SIM mobile
Sometimes technology confuses us with strange nomenclatures, but this does not happen with Dual SIM technology, which is exactly what it seems: mobiles in which you can use two SIM cards. This is by no means a new technology, since the first phones supporting multiple SIM cards date back to the year 2000, before smartphones.
In Android, Chinese mobiles were the main forerunners to bring Dual SIM technology to the masses, and today what is rare is to come across a mobile that is not Dual SIM. To find out if a mobile is Dual SIM or not, the easiest way is to consult its technical data sheet, where it is generally indicated in the connectivity section.
Today most mobiles, like this Xiaomi 12, are Dual SIM
With a Dual SIM mobile, it is possible to have a business phone number and a personal phone number on the same phone, or two numbers from different operators to maximize coverage and/or take advantage of different rates. Dual SIM Android phones also often come with tools to be able to use two WhatsApp accounts on the same mobile, one corresponding to each telephone number.
Types of Dual SIM mobiles
All Dual SIM mobiles were not created equal, so if you want to have several numbers on your mobile, you must take certain aspects into account. The first of them is the type of slot of this second SIM: whether it is a dedicated or hybrid slot.
The hybrid slot implies that the same slot is used for the MicroSD and the second SIM, so you can’t use them at the same time. Thus, if you buy a Dual SIM mobile that supports MicroSD cards, you will have to choose between using a second SIM or giving up the memory extension. If you want both, you need a phone with a dedicated slot for each SIM card.
A mobile with triple expansion slot: two for SIM and one for MicroSD card
On the other hand, there is the type of connectivity of this second SIM. In old mobiles, it was common for this second SIM to remain in standby mode (Dual SIM standby), which cannot be used to make or receive calls until you activate it. The most common today is DSDA (Dual SIM Dual Standby), which keeps both SIM cards active at all times without having to mount two transceivers on the mobile.
However, just because they’re active doesn’t mean they’re the same. This is relatively common for Dual SIM mobiles does not allow you to use the latest connectivity on both SIM cards. For example, the primary SIM will be able to use 5G, but the secondary SIM will only be able to take advantage of 4G. If you want both SIM cards to be up to date, you must ensure that said mobile supports Dual SIM 5G + 5G.
What is the use of having two SIM cards in the mobile?
Dual SIM mobiles are used to make phone calls… and much more
With a Dual SIM mobile you can have two telephone numbers configured on the mobile, which can bring you a series of very important advantages in specific cases. The list of benefits is longbut here are some possibilities:
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Have a personal number and another for work. You can call and receive calls on two different phone numbers on the same mobile, without always having to carry two mobiles with you.
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maximize coverage. By contracting tariffs with different operators, you will be able to take advantage of their coverage and switch between them depending on which one has the best coverage at the time. For example, if one operator has better coverage in the countryside and another in the cities.
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Enjoy different rates. A classic advantage of Dual SIM mobiles is to contract different tariffs in each of them and to use one or the other SIM depending on what is practical. For example, if in one SIM you have a tariff for calling at night and in another for calling during the day. The same goes for data rates.
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From numbers to WhatsApp. Some apps, such as WhatsApp, are closely tied to phone numbers, so you need two numbers to register two accounts. You can do this with a Dual SIM mobile and two SIM cards.
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for traveling. If you are traveling outside of Europe, you might be interested in purchasing a local SIM card for data and calls. With a Dual SIM mobile, you can keep your usual SIM as a secondary one, so that you can continue to receive important calls or texts.
How to configure a Dual SIM mobile
To use two SIMs in a Dual SIM mobile, you basically only need to place each SIM in its corresponding slot and switch on the mobile, unless this second SIM of your mobile is virtual, or eSIM. Today, there are still only a few mobile phones with eSIM, mainly the latest high-end Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy.
Android has internally supported the use of multiple SIM cards since time immemorial, but Google hasn’t bothered too much to unify its use, partly because it’s only with the Google Pixel 3a that its own phones have added support. Thus, in most cases it is the mobile manufacturer that adds the Dual SIM configuration. This means that the configuration may be slightly different depending on the brand of your mobile.
Most Dual SIM mobiles have at least these options: deactivate them and choose the preferred SIM for data, calls and SMS
The menu may change location, but you will usually find it in the section of Networks and Internet or similar, in SIM cards. The options that appear may vary from layer to layer, but you’ll almost certainly have the option to fully enable or disable a SIM card, as well as choose your Preferred SIM card for data, calls and SMS.
Normally you are forced to choose one of the SIM for data and this for calls and texts, you can choose to be asked each time. This means that every time you go to make a call or send an SMS, the service application – which must also support dual SIM – will ask you which SIM you want to use.
Phone app and Google Messages app support dual SIM
In addition, it is common for Dual SIM mobiles to have a quick setting on the mobile to change the active SIM or change the SIM card currently used for data. This is useful if you are out of data on your primary SIM card and still have data left on your secondary SIM card.
Previous settings cover calls, data, and text, but that’s still up in the air how to take advantage of that second phone number in apps like whatsapp. Android does not come standard, but in this case, you depend on mobile to bring an app clone tool. And the common thing is that it is so.
The OxygenOS / ColorOS app cloner
This app clone creates a copy of a messaging app so you can use your two phone numbers on two accounts of WhatsApp and similar applications. Keep in mind that some applications, such as Telegram or Messenger, already allow you to set up multiple accounts natively, without having to duplicate them.
This way you can get the most out of your Dual SIM mobileusing this additional card to make and receive calls, send and receive SMS, connect data and use it as a secondary account in applications, whether they support multi-account use or not.
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