If you have been shopping for a phone recently, you might have encountered the term “dual SIM.” Dual SIM phones have become common in markets where they used to be not so common, such as the UK and the US.
What Is a Dual SIM Phone?
A dual SIM phone is a phone that accepts two SIM cards which can be from the same network provider or different providers. Having two SIM cards in the same phone allows you to separate various aspects of your life. For example, you might have a SIM card for personal use and one for business. You may also have one for friends and one for family; it depends on your preferences.
There are also hybrid SIM phones that are considered dual SIM phones. These phones have two slots, one permanently for a SIM card and another that accepts a SIM card or a micro SD card. These hybrid SIM phones allow you to choose between the flexibility of having two SIM cards in one device or expanding your memory.
Whether you pick a pure dual SIM or hybrid SIM card phone, you can pick one or two SIM cards from Lebara for use in your device.
Are eSIM Phones Dual SIM Phones?
An eSIM (embedded sim) is a SIM card embedded in a device and is, therefore, not removable. The eSIM allows you to choose your network carrier or plan depending on your preferences and location. Because only a handful of network providers support eSIM devices, many devices that support them also come with a separate slot for a physical and removable SIM card.
Calling eSIM devices dual SIM devices is a little complicated because you can technically have more than one number on your eSIM in addition to the number on the physical SIM card. Having more than one number on your eSIM is possible because they are programmable chips, which makes devices that have them technically multi-SIM devices.
How Useful Are Dual SIM Devices?
Dual SIM devices have numerous advantages over their single SIM counterparts, and these advantages make them very useful.
They Allow You to Have Two Numbers Simultaneously
Since every SIM card has a phone number, you can always have two phone numbers with you without carrying two phones or switching SIM cards all the time.
You Can Save Money on Calls and Data Plans
Dual SIM phones allow you to find a SIM card combination that works best for messaging, calls, and data. You can find providers of cheap services and use their SIM cards on your phone simultaneously.
You can also use a different provider without losing your phone number. Let’s say you have a number you use for business and do not want it to be offline as it would be if you switched to a different SIM card. You can retain this number and get another SIM card for other purposes like texting, internet connectivity, and personal communication.
This way, you retain the business number while getting on a cheap plan. You can save money by choosing a SIM-only deal from Lebara, whose plans are very generous and even allow you to call 42 countries with no additional charges.
You Will Get Better Network Coverage
Many people cannot be unavailable for several reasons. Perhaps you are in the middle of closing a deal or are the primary contact at your kids’ school and must always be available in case something happens. For these people, having good network coverage at all times is important.
A dual SIM phone enables you to do this by having two SIM cards from providers with the widest coverage.
Sometimes one provider will cover one area well, but not other areas that another provider does excellently. If you frequent both areas and only have one SIM card, you will always have connectivity issues depending on where you are. You do not have to think about such issues when using a dual SIM phone.
You can get one SIM card from a provider who covers one area well and a second one from a provider who covers another well. Doing so will ensure that at least one of your SIM cards always has good connectivity so you are always available regardless of where you are.
Even in cases where neither provider covers some area as well as it does others, you will get the advantage of ensuring one SIM card will always have better connectivity, guaranteeing availability.
They Eliminate Issues When Moving Between Providers
People need to move to new providers all the time for different reasons. However, you might find yourself locked into a contract that only lets you do this after the contract expires. You can get a SIM card from a different provider and go about your day in such cases.
Providers like Lebara allow you to keep your existing number and do not lock you into contracts when you use their SIM-only deals. However, some providers do not let you do this if you switch or want to get out of a contract. Many countries have legislation that mandates that providers have to do this.
Many people will still want to contact you using the number you have always had. A dual SIM device allows you to keep this number running even if you use a new provider whose SIM card you use on the second slot on your dual SIM device.
They Make International Travel Easier
It is crucial that people can still reach you when you travel internationally. However, unless you have an international plan, you will need to buy a local SIM card to use the destination’s network. Doing so can mean switching off the other number to stay connected or online.
You do not have to do this if you own a dual SIM device. Just get a SIM card at your destination, load it up, and go. Doing this has the additional benefit of reducing the risk of losing your SIM card abroad.
Many people are not as careful as they should be, especially with small items like SIM cards, so they can lose them if they have to keep switching between two or more SIM cards. Avoid all this by getting a dual SIM phone.
You Can Get Reimbursed for Phone Calls Easily
Many businesses have a policy for reimbursing any expenses employees incur when acting or conducting business on behalf of the business. If you have one SIM card and thus one number that you use for both work and personal calls, getting reimbursed becomes much more complicated. You have to go through your call records to find every number you have called on behalf of the business.
With a dual SIM device, you can have separate SIM cards for work and personal use. All you would need to get reimbursed is to forward the details of the calls made using the work number.
You Will Never Miss a Call
Modern dual SIM smartphones allow you to hold the call you are currently on to pick up another. You see all the calls your phone receives regardless of whether you are on the line when using a dual SIM device. Because of this, you never have to let another call go to voicemail or miss it.
You Can Use a Second SIM as Backup
The chip on a SIM card holds different types of data, including the contacts you save on it. Although modern devices have so much storage that you no longer need to store numbers on a SIM card, there are instances where you might need to. For example, you might not want a phone number to be synced to your cloud storage.
In such instances, you can use the second SIM card as the backup for these numbers, meaning that you are less likely to lose these numbers if you lose your SIM card.
Downsides of Using a Dual SIM Device
Dual SIM devices have numerous benefits, making them a viable option for many people. However, they also have some downsides that you should be aware of.
Impact on Battery Life
Having dual SIM always on consumes more power. This is because, as you have to keep the chip powered on, there is twice the amount of network searching and twice the amount of handing over between towers as you move around.
Compatibility Issues With Carriers
Although this issue is no longer as prevalent, it bears mentioning because it happens. Some devices are a lot less compatible with network carriers than you might think. Some devices only support specific bands on one SIM slot and other bands on the other. This is the reason you find devices that only allow you to connect to the internet using the SIM card inserted in the first slot.
Some devices also cannot keep a strong network if two carriers are on the same band, giving you a poor overall experience.
Dual SIM cards are incredibly useful for people who want two numbers to keep their personal and professional lives separate, travel abroad, and generally do not switch SIM cards often. They also allow you to take advantage of deals and offers from different providers to save money on calls, texting, and data.