# Dual SIM phones



## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

Having both UK and Spanish mobile numbers (both PAYG) I am carrying around two mobile phones, one of which is starting to play up.

It would appear that a new phone with the ability to take both SIM cards would be an advantage and as one of the existing ones seems to be nearing the end of it's life the time is right to investigate this.

Does anyone have one? What model is it and what are any potential benefits, or drawbacks?


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

I have one. It's a BQ Aquaris E5 4G, which I am very, very happy with. It comes in at about 200€ for this model with a 5 inch screen, but there are other models with smaller and also with bigger screens, all with dual sims. Have a look at prices at Media Markt. 

It is no problem carrying two sim cards in one phone and I can't see any drawbacks. You can see which card you are receiving a call/SMS from, and you can choose which to use when calling or texting out. 

As for the phone itself, it's very fast and runs smoothly, it has an excellent camera, a sharp screen, and outstanding battery life. It comes with virtually pure android and almost no junk pre-installed. BQ is a Spanish company so the phone isn't a Chinese import, which means that if you need customer service it's all done here in Spain. I can't speak highly enough of the phone. If you speak Spanish, have a read of the reviews at Amazon.es.


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Hola

There is a different solution; some contracts allow you to phone / text / use internet from any European country. Not always the cheapest solution - it is a case of "horses for courses" - depends on time in countries and phone usage 

Davexf


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

I have used them for a while and my latest one is by far the best. ASUS ZenFone 2.
But you should be aware that they usually only allow data connection on SIM1. SIM2 is usually voice only.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

I had one when I lived in Prague and made frequent trips to the UK. I found it extremely convenient, no more fiddling with SIMs at airports.
Mine was a Samsung, can't remember the model as this was seven years ago.


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## Dave and Anne Galicia (Nov 15, 2008)

Check out the Motorola Moto G Dual sim. Outstanding reviews for the price.


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

Thanks for the help so far.

So, no drawbacks. I'm not bothered about data, as I would only use WiFi. in 99% of circumstances.

The Moto G was one of the ones I had looked at, but having looked at the BQ Aquaris now, that looks like a contender.


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## ccm47 (Oct 15, 2013)

Dual SIM phones are much more common on the continent than the UK. 
My only problem is that whilst my contacts list shows which SIM I should use to make a call I forget to check sometimes, and end up making an international call to somebody just down the road. I realise now this mostly happens when the last call received was from that other SIM.
Prices now even for smartphone models are extremely competitive. 
Battery duration is now the most important thing for me.


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

Yes, battery size versus consumption are a concern. That's one of the reasons the BQ is edging it over the Moto G. There is also price to consider


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## ccm47 (Oct 15, 2013)

Relyat,
Price does not have to be a concern if all one needs extra in an unlocked smartphone is a dual sim. Currently one can buy an Archos 35B for 59euros (cdiscount.fr) by Weds that model will be available for 39 euros (geantcasino.fr) .
I imagine Spain can match that. I've been unable to check out Mediamarkt shops etc recently due to illness.

Don't know about BQ models being made in Spain but Archos turned out to assemble Chinese produced components in France so as the French think they are being patriotic when shopping.

Is the Moto G to which you refer a) 4g b) first or second generation please? If you don't know the version of Android should tell me.
Regards.


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

Yes, I have read that BQ have Chinese hardware.

It's the 2nd Gen. Not fussed about 4G


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Hang on, you say that battery size is important, then you say that Moto G is your favourite?

Look at the specs. Moto G is famous for low battery life (its only a 2000mAh battery) not to mention that it is running Android 4.4.

Not sure about the price difference in Europe, but surely the Zenfone 2 with Android 5 and 3000mAh is a better buy??

I obviously don't care what you buy, but believe me I have spent a lot of time researching dual SIM phones before buying mine last month!


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

Never said that ANY was my favourite.

I have just started looking into this, hence my asking for help. Any opinion or information is welcome to aid my decision.

As for the Zenfone, it's too pricey for me and the battery capacity isn't as good as some cheaper, although not Android 5 but 4.4, rivals


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

We've got 2 of these. Cubot S168 -
£62 each off eb
S 168_CUBOT Mobile-CUBOT - Official - smartphones 2015

battery lasts for days .

Ps Including delivery from UK to here


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

Relyat said:


> I have read that BQ have Chinese hardware.


Yes. The company BQ, which designs, sells and services the phones, is Spanish. But the phones are a assembled in China.


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## ccm47 (Oct 15, 2013)

Overandout,
The Moto G now comes with Android 5 and an improved battery 2390 mah. This is the reason I asked about which generation was being spoken about. In the UK and France the 1st generation is still on sale at about £100, whilst the 2nd gen is £150.


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## Phil-H (Feb 9, 2015)

I have a Nokia C2 dual phone (fairly basic, but ok as a phone) and the setting can be set to which SIM to use for calls or to ask every time, when I was using it I would just have the default set to SIM1 for making calls, although no longer used as the screen was practically none existent, but was my starting point.

My new (second-hand) phone which I am waiting for a delivery of is the Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM phone, and apart from only having just the one camera seems to be a ok phone and hopefully will also be slightly faster/better than my standard Nokia Lumia 520, I like Nokia because even with PAYG the maps once downloaded do not require any data connection to run when being used as a Satnav.

A friend of mine leaves his SIM2 turned off because he says it help the battery to last longer, but I have since learnt he is constantly on Facebook which might explain his battery problem.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

ccm47 said:


> Overandout,
> The Moto G now comes with Android 5 and an improved battery 2390 mah. This is the reason I asked about which generation was being spoken about. In the UK and France the 1st generation is still on sale at about £100, whilst the 2nd gen is £150.


Fair enough, but 2390mAh is hardly classed as a big battery these days for a 5" screen device.

I would still say that the Zenfone 2 makes more sense than the Moto G, but I was puzzled by the OP's post saying that it was out of price range, but on checking availability I see that Asus has not actually released the phone yet in Spain (France and Italy, yes, but not Spain for some strange reason) so prices are probably for imported versions which tend to be over-priced and potentially different specs and with no warranty.
But the basic model (ZE550ML) with 2GB RAM and 16GB storeage costs about the same as the Moto G 2nd Gen in countries where they are officially sold.

Sorry for the confusion, I would not knowingly recommend buying a phone that is not officially available in Spain.


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

Phil H, re using maps offline, is that not the case for all phones? Do some require a connection to be able to use them?

Overandout, 2390 is not really a big capacity about average I would have thought. Regarding availability, if it's available in Europe that's not a problem. Pound to a pinch of......that they will be the same in any European country (possibly cosmetic differences) as for price differences, this would be down to the individual sellers, not necessarily the country in which they are based, although obviously the price that they pay the manufacturer will have a bearing.

This is turning into a right snakes wedding once you start looking!


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## Phil-H (Feb 9, 2015)

Relyat said:


> Phil H, re using maps offline, is that not the case for all phones? Do some require a connection to be able to use them?
> .
> .


Although recently people have been telling me differently, but they have also been on contract phones where data is also supplied so may be giving false information, but as far as I know only Nokia have maps that will work offline and do not require a data connection to work and I have used mine in various countries without any problems.

Only last year I also asked in 2 different phone shops and they also confirmed that only Nokia phones are the only phones that work without a data connection.

(My new phone arrived this morning......... wrong phone, ...... just a normal single SIM phone and not a Dual SIM as advertised, even more annoying is I have already ordered and paid for screen protectors and a GEL covers to go with this specific phone, why didn't I wait until I had received it!!!) will I never learn......


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## Dave and Anne Galicia (Nov 15, 2008)

Phil-H said:


> Although recently people have been telling me differently, but they have also been on contract phones where data is also supplied so may be giving false information, but as far as I know only Nokia have maps that will work offline and do not require a data connection to work and I have used mine in various countries without any problems.
> 
> Only last year I also asked in 2 different phone shops and they also confirmed that only Nokia phones are the only phones that work without a data connection.
> 
> (My new phone arrived this morning......... wrong phone, ...... just a normal single SIM phone and not a Dual SIM as advertised, even more annoying is I have already ordered and paid for screen protectors and a GEL covers to go with this specific phone, why didn't I wait until I had received it!!!) will I never learn......


Whilst the Nokia sat nav app was in the past only available for Windows phones I think you will find it is now also available for Android phones. As long as the phone has GPS it should work without data connection. Nav Free is another possibility. The phone will need sufficient memory to store all the data. I have not tried these possibilities yet as I am waiting for my first smartphone to arrive!


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## Phil-H (Feb 9, 2015)

Dave and Anne Galicia

Thanks for that, at the moment I now intend to wait for the refund before going any further.

I been looking at some of the specs from the gsmarena site and also notice Microsoft have now dropped the Name of Nokia from their phones and are now using 'ie' 'Microsoft Lumia 540 Dual SIM' in the name of their phones.

Microsoft Lumia 540 Dual SIM - Full phone specifications

Although for myself the 535, 540, 630 or 730 Lumia phones are also in dual SIM version phones and whilst almost classed as 'entry/starter phones' either will be good enough for what I want.

Sorry if this has gone OT so please forgive me.


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

O.K. - thus far I am considering (please note that word !) Motorola Moto G 2nd Gen, BQ Aquaris 5 & NMG Forward Endurance. My preference to the latter.

There is so much out there to consider that I'm getting snowblind with it, but for various reasons these are the front runners so far.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Google Maps can be used offline, but you have to store the map you want in advance. Also, the saved map cannot be used for GPS navigation.

MapsME is a fantastic Android App which allows whole countries and traffic routes to be saved on the phones memory and used while offline. I wouldn't go so far as to say that its as good as the Nokia offering though as Nokia always were pretty good at maps.

In fact, I have just checked Dave and Anne's suggestion about Nokia Maps on Android, and indeed it is available. For offline use at least, it looks better that Google Maps.


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

Overandout said:


> Google Maps can be used offline, but you have to store the map you want in advance. Also, the saved map cannot be used for GPS navigation.
> 
> MapsME is a fantastic Android App which allows whole countries and traffic routes to be saved on the phones memory and used while offline. I wouldn't go so far as to say that its as good as the Nokia offering though as Nokia always were pretty good at maps.
> 
> In fact, I have just checked Dave and Anne's suggestion about Nokia Maps on Android, and indeed it is available. For offline use at least, it looks better that Google Maps.


I had been hoping that I might be able to kill two birds with one stone thernever mind.


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## Dave and Anne Galicia (Nov 15, 2008)

Relyat said:


> I had been hoping that I might be able to kill two birds with one stone thernever mind.


In addition to Sat Nav I believe google translate can be downloaded to phone plus language and used offline.


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## Duchess (Sep 28, 2009)

Glad I found this thread. I have a Samsung GT18160 smartphone.
Would I be able to get a dual sim card for it? Also, can I get it in the UK before we move?
Same question applies for my OH who has a Nokia.


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## Phil-H (Feb 9, 2015)

Duchess said:


> Glad I found this thread. I have a Samsung GT18160 smartphone.
> Would I be able to get a dual sim card for it? Also, can I get it in the UK before we move?
> Same question applies for my OH who has a Nokia.


It is not the card which is Dual SIM, it is the phone that has 2 SIM card slots so you can insert 2 different SIM cards, so basically your answer is NO, you can't get a Dual SIM card for it.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Duchess said:


> Glad I found this thread. I have a Samsung GT18160 smartphone.
> Would I be able to get a dual sim card for it? Also, can I get it in the UK before we move?
> Same question applies for my OH who has a Nokia.



Dual SIM phones are handsets that accept 2 SIM cards, yours doesn't appear to be one of those.

We are not discussing "Twin SIM cards" but they do exist.

I have had a "Twin SIM" in the past (2 phone numbers on one SIM card, therefore having two phone numbers in one "normal" phone), but these are only issued by certain companies and both numbers must belong to the same comapny.

For example if you have two SIM cards from Vodafone ES, you can ask them to combine them on a Twin SIM card and have both numbers in one phone, even though that phone may not be a Dual SIM hand set. 

Unfortunately you cannot combine two numbers from different countries on one Twin SIM as, for example, Vodafone ES and Vodafone UK are different companies.

Interestingly, I had a Twin SIN card and a normal SIM card in a Dual SIM phone, so actually had three lines on one hand set.


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## Caz.I (Mar 21, 2009)

Relyat said:


> Having both UK and Spanish mobile numbers (both PAYG) I am carrying around two mobile phones, one of which is starting to play up.
> 
> It would appear that a new phone with the ability to take both SIM cards would be an advantage and as one of the existing ones seems to be nearing the end of it's life the time is right to investigate this.
> 
> Does anyone have one? What model is it and what are any potential benefits, or drawbacks?


Hi, I bought an Alcatel dual SIM card phone in the UK (from Carphone Warehouse? not sure?) a couple of years ago for about 20 quid. It is probably the most basic phone known to mankind, a push button phone for voice calls and text but I think it is great because I can have two different SIM cards from two different companies/countries and use both in one phone simultaneously. It has been so useful the last few years when I have had to travel a lot between the UK, US and Spain so I have nothing negative to say. Obviously, it's not a smartphone but I don't have one of those anyway.


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## Duchess (Sep 28, 2009)

OK so now I can't use my smartphone for a dual sim, which phones can anybody recommend to buy and can we do this in the UK?


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

When I go to the UK I remove my Spanish sim & buy a sim from the likes of Tesco & pop that in for the duration of my stay, when done I bin it.

Now if I was back & forward like a yoyo I guess it may pay to get a dual sim ?


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Duchess said:


> OK so now I can't use my smartphone for a dual sim, which phones can anybody recommend to buy and can we do this in the UK?


Just log on to amazon.co.uk and type in dual SIM phone....


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## Phil-H (Feb 9, 2015)

Duchess said:


> OK so now I can't use my smartphone for a dual sim, which phones can anybody recommend to buy and can we do this in the UK?


At the moment in order of preference, I am looking at either:-

Nokia/Microsoft Lumia Dual SIM phones

Lumia 730	Sep 2014 (age)
Lumia 540	Apr 2015
Lumia 535	Nov 2014
Lumia 435	Jan 2015
Lumia 430	Apr 2015

The 730 may not be the newest, but is the better phone out of that list.

However, especially if buying from eBay, double check with the seller to make sure it is a Dual SIM unit either before bidding or definitely before paying, only some sellers are saying when creating their add, eBays software is inserting wrong information.

This week I have had to return one phone, and cancelled a second purchase simply because of wrong information on the sellers details, and whilst the funds may go out of your account very quickly, they do not come back very quickly.

Yes, another lesson learnt.


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

Well, so far my shortlist is -

Motorola Moto G 2nd Gen
NGM Forward Endurance
BQ Aquaris 

Pretty much in order of preference. They all have their plus points and correspond to my budget of approx £150.
Moto G has Android 5 - the others are on 4.
NGM has a huge battery.
BQ is a Spanish company.
Each of them would represent a compromise in one way or another - but so many things do !


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## Nignoy (Jun 4, 2010)

We have been using dual sim phones for nearly 10 years now, we use the website Alibaba,they have agreat range ofdual sim phones all popular brands and and great prices too!never had any problemswe have just received replacement Samsung batteries 4euros free postage took 7 days from ordering, cheapest batteries here from media markt 30 euros so no contest, we will continue using dual sim .


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

VFR said:


> When I go to the UK I remove my Spanish sim & buy a sim from the likes of Tesco & pop that in for the duration of my stay, when done I bin it.
> 
> Now if I was back & forward like a yoyo I guess it may pay to get a dual sim ?


Not a lot of use if someone wants to ring you on the Spanish number whilst you
are away ?


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

gus-lopez said:


> Not a lot of use if someone wants to ring you on the Spanish number whilst you
> are away ?


Suits me fine as I incure no roaming charges ETC.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

There's no charge for receiving anymore.
Roaming use on a Spanish phone is usually cheaper than actually using it here.


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## Phil-H (Feb 9, 2015)

Just as a matter of interest, especially for maybe anyone who already has a nice super-dooper phone but would like to convert it into a Dual SIM phone.

I came across this site earlier today (MagicSIM) but have to say I don't know if this type of adaptor is any good, so it's down to individuals to decide if it's worth a gamble of roughly £25 (£25 was for the adaptor I was looking at, but I don't know if the price varies very much) for a SIM adaptor which plugs into your phone's normal SIM slot with a small ribbon cable with a second SIM card attached.

MAGICSIM ELITE - MICRO SIM DUAL SIM ADAPTER <b>IS</b> compatible with Nokia LUMIA 520 and many other phones â€“ MagicSim


However what I would say to start with is that the adaptor would certainly not fit inside any of my Nokia phones.


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

dual SIM phone - Free Shipping - DX

worth a look.


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## Duchess (Sep 28, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> Just log on to amazon.co.uk and type in dual SIM phone....


OK thanks for that. Will check it out. I presume you start with a UK sim, then get your Spanish one when over there? Sorry if I'm being dense, so much to organise!!


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## Duchess (Sep 28, 2009)

phil- h and relyat thanks for the lists.


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

Hello Duchess,

Just be aware that there are loads out there, many cheaper than the ones that I put in my list.
Work out what you need from the phone (apart from the dual sim aspect) and trawl away.


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

I must be missing something here ?, and if so I should look at a dual for my next phone when the time comes.

Cannot see any advantage though as at most I only visit the UK twice a year & to keep a sim active it would need topping up would it not, that being the case unless I use the thing my top up would also vanish.

:confused2:


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## Nignoy (Jun 4, 2010)

But for people who still have to travel a lot ,dual sim is the business, for example next month in 28 days I will be visiting 5 countries and wifey loves her mobile phone, so our dualsim Chinese clone a phones do a grand job, we will stick with them


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

For me, it is to retain my UK number. This is of use to me when I visit and, to a lesser extent, here.


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## Phil-H (Feb 9, 2015)

VFR said:


> I must be missing something here ?, and if so I should look at a dual for my next phone when the time comes.
> 
> Cannot see any advantage though as at most I only visit the UK twice a year & to keep a sim active it would need topping up would it not, that being the case unless I use the thing my top up would also vanish.
> 
> :confused2:


Here in the UK, for myself it comes down to a few reasons why I like and want a Dual SIM phone 'again'

1. My main provider is 'Three (3) on a tariff of 3,2,1, (3 pence to phone any number) 2p per text and 1p per MB for data, so basically calls are cheaper than even using my landline phone.

2. Some of my friends use LycaMobile where calls to and from LycaMobile here in the UK are free.

3. Calls to some countries are also a lot cheaper with LycaMobile.

4. At one time there used to be a time when free SIMs with usually £5 of credit were available all over the place.
So having to keep changing SIMs was a pain in the neck if wanting to use my smart-phone.

I also still have a Dual SIM phone (Nokia C2, my first phone) but it is a fairly basic phone and now I want something more up-to-date apart from my other Nokia Lumia 520.

*************
Something I have recently discovered with buying from the likes of eBay is that phones from within the EU are selling for a lot less than UK sellers, in fact I would probably go as far as saying half the cost of buying from the UK sellers.

Maybe the fact that most are not written in english is putting some people off 'thankfully'


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## Duchess (Sep 28, 2009)

Relyat said:


> For me, it is to retain my UK number. This is of use to me when I visit and, to a lesser extent, here.


Hi how can you retain your UK number? O2 told me that I'd have to cancel my account (I pay monthly on contract) with 2 weeks' notice and then they can send me a PAYG sim! I'd like to keep my UK number for family and friends but how can I?

Let me know your thoughts please.


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## Phil-H (Feb 9, 2015)

Duchess said:


> Hi how can you retain your UK number? O2 told me that I'd have to cancel my account (I pay monthly on contract) with 2 weeks' notice and then they can send me a PAYG sim! I'd like to keep my UK number for family and friends but how can I?
> 
> Let me know your thoughts please.


It can take upto 24 hours, but if you are going to stay with O2, then just ask them to transfer the number to the new SIM card.

If and when changing providers this is called 'Porting'
Then you would ask O2 for a porting number which you would then supply to your new provider, they in-turn contact O2 to get your old number and then transfer it to the new SIM card.


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## ptjd (May 27, 2015)

A big reason I need to have a dual sim is that most of my US banks, Investment sites and paypal etc... Uses a secondary code they text you for login, As far as I know they are not going to text me at a Spanish country code.


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

Phil-H said:


> Here in the UK, for myself it comes down to a few reasons why I like and want a Dual SIM phone 'again'
> 
> 1. My main provider is 'Three (3) on a tariff of 3,2,1, (3 pence to phone any number) 2p per text and 1p per MB for data, so basically calls are cheaper than even using my landline phone.
> 
> ...


Sorry still don't get it, for (as I said) back & forwards (ETC) of course but for someone who is going to live in Spain it will cost *just* to keep a UK number active (min £8 a month ?)
I just use Skype or Whattsapp which is free between my Spanish mobile and a UK mobile if both are using WiFi.


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## Duchess (Sep 28, 2009)

VFR Do you mean you have a UK and a Spanish mobile?

I think I'll abandon my UK mobile number, keep my smartphone and we can both share it when we get to Spain, and get a PAYG sim.


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## Phil-H (Feb 9, 2015)

VFR said:


> Sorry still don't get it, for (as I said) back & forwards (ETC) of course but for someone who is going to live in Spain it will cost *just* to ..........
> .
> .


It's horses for courses.

When I'm in Turkey and want to use my mobile to phone turkish numbers then I can and anyone from the UK who does not know my turkish number can still call me the same way as they usually do, all without either having to change the SIM or telling people only to call on such and such a number.
So I get the best of both worlds without having to carry 2 mobile phones around.

Fortunately for most people in the likes of Spain and the EU, since ROAMING charges have been either dropped or greatly reduced most of the above scenarios now no longer matter.

Having a dual SIM phone could also just be a matter of choice as to who and which number you want to give out (and maybe ignore) for such things like personal calls or business calls.


NB.
If anyone is not going to be using their second SIM for any length of time (Days, week or maybe even just hour) it helps the battery if the SIM is turned off, obviously it is then not constantly monitoring the system.


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

Duchess said:


> VFR Do you mean you have a UK and a Spanish mobile?
> 
> I think I'll abandon my UK mobile number, keep my smartphone and we can both share it when we get to Spain, and get a PAYG sim.


No Duchess I only have a Spanish sim & I swallowed the UK sim (get it ?)

Thanks for the offer about sharing


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

Phil-H said:


> It's horses for courses.
> 
> When I'm in Turkey and want to use my mobile to phone turkish numbers then I can and anyone from the UK who does not know my turkish number can still call me the same way as they usually do, all without either having to change the SIM or telling people only to call on such and such a number.
> So I get the best of both worlds without having to carry 2 mobile phones around.
> ...


Phil I can understand your case & why you do that but that was not the reason for my asking.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

My reason for using a dual SIM phone had nothing to do with being an expat / immigrant. I haven't had a UK mobile number for over 10 years now.

It was simply that I hated carrying my personal and my work mobile everywhere with me, so I wanted to put both SIMs in one phone.

But it is useful keeping my Spanish SIM active now that I'm out of Spain.


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## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

As I started this it's only fair to let you know the result - Moto G 2nd Gen.

Lots of options, but this was the best compromise for me.


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## Gabde (Jun 16, 2015)

Hi! I'm a Brit currently living in Spain and have a dual sim phone with UK and Spanish sim cards. I really recommend having one if you are in a similar situation. I bought a Samsung GT-S7562 a year and a half ago from el Corte Ingles online when they had a special offer. It's a pretty basic smartphone, and slow, but the best of what was available at the time. However it's invaluable to me to be able to receive calls on both numbers and to be able to connect to the internet. Carrying two phones around was a real pain!! Relyat, let us know how you get on with your new phone...


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

Relyat said:


> As I started this it's only fair to let you know the result - Moto G 2nd Gen.
> 
> Lots of options, but this was the best compromise for me.


They are a good budget phone, our local NHS trust have dished out a load to some nurses.


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## bambi89 (Apr 1, 2015)

So glad I read this, I was in the process of looking for another phone to use when I am in Spain but didn't know where to start. I never even knew you could get phones that have 2 sim cards either!

How do they work when turned on, do you have to select between using 1 sim card at a time I take it?


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## Phil-H (Feb 9, 2015)

bambi89 said:


> So glad I read this, I was in the process of looking for another phone to use when I am in Spain but didn't know where to start. I never even knew you could get phones that have 2 sim cards either!
> 
> How do they work when turned on, do you have to select between using 1 sim card at a time I take it?


There are as far as I know 2 different types of Dual SIM phones, one of which is where you have to select which SIM is in use.

The other (main type) or I think more commonly used is when the only selection I had to make on my old phone was which SIM to use when making outgoing calls, but even that had settings that could be chosen from, for 'Ask each time, Automatic or SIM1 or SIM2'
So basically most of them can just be set to fully automatic, but when receiving a call a notice lets you know if it is SIM 1 or SIM 2 that is receiving the call.

Can I suggest a trawl around somewhere like gsmarena for more specific information.
GSMArena.com - GSM phone reviews, news, opinions, votes, manuals and more...

****************
Edit,
Just a note, you can actually get phones with as far as I know up-to 6 SIMs.

A long time ago the main problem I found with one of the cheaper knock-off Chinese phones was the volume was not very good.


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## bambi89 (Apr 1, 2015)

Phil-H said:


> There are as far as I know 2 different types of Dual SIM phones, one of which is where you have to select which SIM is in use.
> 
> The other (main type) or I think more commonly used is when the only selection I had to make on my old phone was which SIM to use when making outgoing calls, but even that had settings that could be chosen from, for 'Ask each time, Automatic or SIM1 or SIM2'
> So basically most of them can just be set to fully automatic, but when receiving a call a notice lets you know if it is SIM 1 or SIM 2 that is receiving the call.
> ...


Thanks a lot for clearing that up Phil!


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