Dual-SIM functionality is something that has been kicking around for a good few years now. Chances are if you have recently purchased a new phone from one of the market’s leading manufacturers, such as Samsung, Huawei, LG or Sony, then you may already be sporting a dual-SIM phone without realising!

It’s worth noting that Apple and Google do things a little differently, which we’ll mention later on in the guide. 

An Introduction to Dual-SIM Functionality

In a nutshell, dual-SIM functionality allows you to use two different SIM cards from just one device. This is usually done by inserting a second SIM card into the SIM tray or by using eSIM with selected Apple or Google products. 

When inserting a new a SIM card into your phone, nothing much will change on the screen, except you’ll have an extra coverage bar at the top of the phone, showing the strength of the signal you’re receiving on both SIM cards. 

When using the dual-SIM functionality, it’s important that you ensure the device you use is an unlocked phone so that it can connect to any network. This is essential for maximising value from your two SIM cards as these can be from two different networks, rather than just one.

Setting Up a Dual-SIM Phone

Once you have plugged your new SIM card into your phone, you’ll want to head over to the settings menu and select ‘SIM & Network’; although it may be worded slightly differently on your device. Upon selecting this option, you’ll be presented with a screen that offers you the option to start customising how you use your SIM cards. 

Here, you can choose whether to set a default SIM card for calls and texts, or whether you would like to choose each time you make a phone call or send a text. When it comes to data, you’ll need to select a default SIM for this from your settings, as you won’t be able to switch each time you connect to the web. 

It’s worth noting that you cannot use two different sized SIM cards on one device, with almost all modern dual-SIM phones being nano-SIM compatible. This means that if you’re still rocking a micro or even a regular-sized SIM (seriously?!) and you want to upgrade to a dual-SIM device, you’ll need to get your number transferred to a new nano-SIM. This can be done at a physical branch of your phone provider, or at a store such as Carphone Warehouse. 

Why Might You Want Two SIM Cards? 

There are some very obvious and very useful benefits to packing your phone with two SIM cards, these include:

Using Your Phone While Travelling

Currently (at time of writing), people in the UK and across Europe have the ability to make use of their calls, texts and data allowance while travelling in selected countries abroad. For customers who use a pay as you go plan, they will pay the same price for each text, phone call or gigabyte of data used within the roaming region. For those on a paid monthly plan, calls, texts and data will be taken out of their monthly allowance, with no extra charges. 

However, if you plan on travelling for an extended period of time, or to a country that does not offer this service, such as Australia, the USA or countries within Asia, then you could be looking at a costly bill when using your domestic provider. In this instance, it would be better to procure a SIM card from a local provider in the country you’re visiting and using this for calls, texts and data while staying within that country. 

Bear in mind that if you retain your domestic package, you’ll likely be paying for two phone bills, but this could still work out cheaper than paying overpriced roaming charges. Depending on how long you’re staying in the country, consider which type of plan you take out. We’d suggest avoiding tieing yourself into longterm contracts as you may end up changing your plans or travelling to a different country. Pay as you go or 30-day rolling contracts are often your best bet when taking out a new SIM plan overseas. 

Using Your Phone for Work and Personal Use

For many of us, the lines between work and home often become blurred. Giving out your personal mobile number to colleagues, clients and customers is not an ideal scenario, but is often easier than having two separate devices. Well, this is where dual-SIM comes in. 

With dual-SIM functionality, you’re able to have both your work and personal numbers on one phone while ensuring everything is kept separate, avoiding the need for giving out your personal number.

When plugging in your new SIM card, (depending on the device you’re using) you can allocate which numbers will be used for which activity. Or, you can select to choose each which SIM to use each time you make a call or send a text message. 

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Taking Out a New Data Plan

With so many amazing cheap data plans available nowadays, it’s easier than ever to use your phone for streaming music, binge-watching box sets or playing your favourite online games. 

If your standard phone plan doesn’t include enough data, then you could consider grabbing yourself a new plan which only offers data, nothing else. This way, you can scale down your original plan and begin using data for contacting friends and family using services such as Skype, Messenger or WhatsApp. 

Using this system, you can still retain your original phone number while maximising the amount of data you have with your device. That being said, we would suggest shopping around first as upgrading your existing plan to include more data could be a more budget-friendly option. 

This could also work if you’re tied into a long 24-month contract and want to increase your monthly allowance without terminating the contract.

Apple, Google and eSIMs

In typical Apple fashion, they have decided to take a different approach to dual-SIM functionality, ushering in the latest version on the SIM card, an eSIM. eSIMs are essentially built-in SIM cards which are currently being used by a small portion of top-end smartphones. Although, it is expected that they will soon be used by all smartphones, completely phasing out the physical card. 

At time of writing, eSIMs are available in Apple’s latest devices such as the iPhone XS and XS Max, iPhone XR and all iPhone 11 models. Additionally, Google’s Pixel 3, 3 XL and subsequent Pixel 4 and 4 XL models all support eSIM functionality. 

To activate an eSIM, you’ll be given a QR code, or something similar, to scan with your device, then you’ll need to allocate names to the two numbers on your device. Similar to Android devices, Apple’s setting will allow you to either text or call with default SIMs, or choose as and when you take those actions. 

Are you looking to grab yourself an upgrade or want to get a spare phone for your next travel adventure? Check out our range of reconditioned phones here! Want to get ahead of the game when it comes to eSIMs? We’d suggest a  refurbished iPhone XR unlocked to any network. 

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