It is more and more common to find Dual SIM Android phoneswhich is nothing more than terminals in which you can put two SIM cards, each with its own telephone number, operator and corresponding rate.
While the matter will sound like an eccentricity to some, Dual SIM phones have several advantages. We will tell you below their virtues, what you have to take into account when you buy 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 that 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 with support for more than one SIM card date back to the year 2000, before smartphones.
In Android, Chinese mobiles were the main precursors to bring Dual SIM technology to the masses, and today what is rare is to run into a mobile that is not Dual SIM. To know if a mobile is Dual SIM or not, the easiest thing is to consult its specification sheet, where it is usually 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 work 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
Not all Dual SIM mobiles were created equal, so if you are interested in having several numbers on your mobile, you should take into account some aspects. The first of them is the type of slot this second SIM has: if 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. In this way, if you buy a Dual SIM mobile that supports MicroSD cards, you will have to choose between using a second SIM or dispensing with memory expansion. If you want both then you need a phone that has a dedicated slot for each SIM.
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), not being able to be used to make or receive calls until you activate it. Today the most common is DSDA (Dual SIM Dual Standby), which keeps both SIMs active at all times without having to mount two transceivers on the mobile.
However, just because they are active does not mean they are the same. It is relatively common for Dual SIM mobiles do not allow you to use the latest connectivity on both SIMs. 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 SIMs to be up to date, then you should make sure 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 advantages is longbut here are some possibilities:
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.
maximize coverage. By contracting rates in different operators you will be able to take advantage of their coverage and switch from one to another depending on the one that has the best coverage at that time. For example, if an operator has better coverage in the countryside and another in cities.
Take advantage of different rates. A classic advantage of Dual SIM mobiles is to contract different rates in each of them and use one or another SIM depending on which is convenient. For example, if in one SIM you have a rate to call at night and in another to call during the day. The same applies to data rates.
Two numbers for two WhatsApp. Some applications, such as WhatsApp, are closely linked to phone numbers and therefore you need two numbers to register two accounts. You can do this with a Dual SIM mobile and two SIM cards.
for travel. If you travel outside of Europe, you may be interested in buying a local SIM to have data and make calls. With a Dual SIM mobile you can keep your usual SIM as secondary, to be able to continue receiving calls or SMS that are important.
How to configure a Dual SIM mobile
To use two SIMs in a Dual SIM mobile, all you have to do is basically put each SIM in its corresponding slot and turn 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, basically the latest high-end Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy.
Android has internally supported use with multiple SIM cards since time immemorial, but Google hasn’t bothered too much to unify its use, in part because it wasn’t until the Google Pixel 3a that its own phones 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: turn them off and choose the preferred SIM for data, calls and SMS
The menu can change its location, but you will usually find it inside the section of Network and Internet or similar, in SIM cards. The options that appear to you may vary from one layer to another, but you will almost certainly have the option to activate or deactivate a SIM completely, as well as choose your Preferred SIM for data, calls and SMS messages.
Normally, you are forced to choose one of the SIMs for data and that for calls and SMS messages you can choose to be asked each time. This will mean that every time you go to make a call or send an SMS, the application on duty -which must also support Dual SIM- will ask you which SIM you want to use.
Both the Phone app and the 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 modify which SIM is currently being used for data. This is useful if you have run out of data on your primary SIM and still have data left on your secondary SIM.
Previous settings cover calls, data and SMS, but it’s still up in the air how to take advantage of this second phone number in apps like WhatsApp. Android does not come standard, but in this case you depend on the mobile to bring an app cloning 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 apps, such as Telegram or Messenger, already allow you to set up multiple accounts natively, without having to duplicate them.
In 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.
