Not too long ago, most mobile phones used to come with just one sim card slot. But with both hardware and software technology advancing at a rapid pace, dual sim phones are now common and cheap.
Almost all major manufactures like Motorola, Samsung, HTC and Sony have come up with Dual sim smartphones, a trend that was first started by Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi and Lenovo.
But should you really buy a dual sim smartphone over a single sim device? What are the advantages and disadvantages?
Advantages of Dual Sim Phones
- Cost Effective: The biggest advantage of owning a dual sim phone is it’s as good as buying two devices. Two sim cards from two different mobile operators can be inserted in one phone. This not only saves a lot of money but it also makes it easy for the user to carry just one device instead of two.
- Flexibility: If a person travels to a different country or a state, carrying a single sim mobile phone could be a problem. You will either have to use the same sim with higher roaming charges or carry another phone to use another sim. But in case of dual sim phones, you have the freedom to buy a new sim from a local operator.
- Connectivity: In times of emergency or while travelling, it’s also good to carry two sim cards from two different mobile operators. For example, just in case you don’t get network in a particular area from Airtel, there is always a possibility that Vodafone or BSNL could have coverage to make calls or for internet connectivity. It could act as a saviour for people as connectivity and coverage at the remotest of areas has now become important.
Disadvantages of Dual Sim Phones
- Battery: The biggest disadvantage is the impact on battery life. In other words, you will be using 2 phones with one single battery. Hence, the battery drains much faster. During our testing, some dual sim devices last about 40% more when one sim card is disabled.
- Interface: While using the phone, you will always get an option of choosing a sim: Sim 1 or Sim 2 – For calling, texting and internet. This can get irritating sometimes as operating systems are still not intelligent enough to detect which phone to respond from. If you are not always aware, you could overuse your data pack from a sim card that doesn’t have data and your mobile operator could charge you for the same. You could also end up making calls from the wrong number. So presence of mind becomes important. In short, phones with two sim cards are always more complicated to use than single sim phones.
- Apps: Many apps don’t support dual sim phones. For example, you can’t WhatsApp from two numbers from the same phone. You need separate devices.
- Lesser options: If you are looking for only dual sim devices, you will have fewer smartphones to pick from. For example, you won’t be able to buy iPhone with dual sim card slots.
Which is better? Well, it’s always better to invest in a dual Sim smartphone, even if it means it costs a little more. You never know when you might need a second sim card. You could also turn off the second sim when you don’t use it.
Hybrid phones which allow you to switch between memory card or sim card is also a good option.
However, if you’re 100% certain that you won’t use more than one sim card, then you can pick a single-sim smartphone.