topic Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby in Android

Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

Anonymous — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:04:35 GMT

I want to buy a simple (and inexpensive) mobile phone for someone who is even less well-informed that I am. One that I think, prima facie, would be suitable is a HD 3G Mini S5 which is said to have "Dual SIM card dual standby". Although I have Googled this I am none the wiser. What does it mean in practice? Will the phone have to have 2 SIM cards inserted, and if that is so would that mean 2 tariffs? Would there be any appreciable negative impact on normal usage if only 1 SIM is inserted?

Have I given enough information to establish what size of SIM card(s) would be needed?

Sorry if these are too silly questions.

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

MI5 — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:07:30 GMT

Dual sim phones will work equally well with either one or two sim cards as long as at least one sim is in sim slot one.
You could have one contract sim and one payg sim if you wanted so no actual need for 2 contract tariff's.

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

Anonymous — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:09:43 GMT

@MI5 wrote:
Dual sim phones will work equally well with either one or two sim cards as long as at least one sim is in sim slot one.
You could have one contract sim and one payg sim if you wanted so no actual need for 2 contract tariff's.

Thanks for quick reply @MI5 Presumably that means there must be some on screen way to switch between the SIMs?

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

Anonymous — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:13:34 GMT

On the subject of dual sim and as we have @MI5's attention on this, would the Note 3 take a dual sim set up and if so how would this work?

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

MI5 — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:13:50 GMT

The only time you have to choose a sim is when you want to make a call, send text etc. It will ask you if you want to use Sim 1 or Sim 2.
Looking online it appears that the phone takes mini sim cards in size.

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

MI5 — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:14:29 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous the subject of dualsim and as we have @MI5's attention on this, would the Note 3 take a dualsim set up and if so how would this work?

Magic Sim should do an adapter to fit mate.

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

Anonymous — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:18:03 GMT

Perfect. I shall look that up.

Would the Note 3 recognise this or would I need to download software so the phone would select the right sim? I am thinking of having o2 as my contract and ee as a payg until June 15 then when my contract is up it is bye bye o2 for another network.

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

Anonymous — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:24:17 GMT

@MI5 wrote:
The only time you have to choose a sim is when you want to make a call, send text etc. It will ask you if you want to use Sim 1 or Sim 2.
Looking online it appears that the phone takes mini sim cards in size.

Very many thanks again @MI5 - that's another pint (or dram) I owe you!!

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

Anonymous — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:25:58 GMT

For others looking on here, Magic Sim Elite retails at around £25 and supports 3g and 4g.

(I hope I am allowed to post that @Toby, if not please feel free to remove)

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

MI5 — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:30:27 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Would the Note 3 recognise this or would I need to download software

When you boot the phone with a Magic-sim adapter in it will install a small app from which you can control the sim cards.

The only downside is that it's not dual standby so you have to manually switch sim's yourself, but I've been using one for years with no problems......

(Check first if you use a custom ROM though as they don't work with all of them).

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

MI5 — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:32:33 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Very many thanks again @MI5 - that's another pint (or dram) I owe you!!

Not a problem at all @Anonymous

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

Anonymous — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:35:01 GMT

Thanks @MI5. Re Custom ROM my device is an ex o2 refurbished model that is unlocked but other than that it is standard so should be fine.

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

Anonymous — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:36:22 GMT

Flippin 'eck @Gerry. If we had to bless @MI5 with a pint or a dram every time he helped us he would be permanently drunk 😀😆😀😆

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

MI5 — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:38:09 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
he would be permanently drunk 😀😆😀😆

I am

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

Cleoriff — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:39:30 GMT

@MI5 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
he would be permanently drunk 😀😆😀😆
I am

I WAS about to add that comment....but you beat me to it....

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

MI5 — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:40:31 GMT

I said drunk.... not slow

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

jonsie — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:43:34 GMT

One advantage of a dual sim is that if it's unlocked you can have dual networks too for all round coverage.

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

Cleoriff — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 18:44:14 GMT

@MI5 wrote:
I said drunk.... not slow

Oh...I know that...indeed I do....

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

Anonymous — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 11:30:11 GMT

Just be careful when you use it because there are people complaining all the time that they were billed wrong because the call "wasn't made from that sim card". So make sure you always check what sim ur using before making any calls, speacially international ones.:smileywink:

Re: Technical Advice Please re Dual SIM card dual standby

Anonymous — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 12:17:00 GMT

Thank you for that warning @Anonymous I think I will first about the dual sim model in this particular case. The intended recipient could not be relied upon to take such care.