Dual SIM technology – everything you need to know. How to set up mobile Internet on a smartphone with two SIM cards

Phones with two SIM cards will be relevant as long as there is at least some competition in the mobile communications market. Today, operators attract customers with a wide variety of tariff plans, offering favorable rates for calls under various conditions.
And man, as you know, is always looking for where it is better. And we often carry with us several mobile phones equipped with packages from different operators. And therefore, the decision in favor of a “dual-SIM” device is often quite justified.

What are the criteria for choosing a phone with two SIM cards?

2 SIM or not 2 SIM?
First of all, you need to know that devices with two SIM cards are divided into two categories: Dual Standby and Active. They differ in the number of radio modules built into the device.

Dual Standby have one module that allows both SIM cards to be on the network. The subscriber will be available on both numbers, but only until he picks up one of them - when talking on one of the cards, it will become impossible to call the second. This increases the chances of missing an important call. Note, however, that after the conversation the second SIM card will appear on the network again, and a message from the operator will be sent to the phone about the missed call. Such popular devices as Nokia C2-00, Samsung Star II Duos C6712, and many Fly models (E170, Q300, Q410 and others) are built using Dual Standby technology.

Active is already two full-fledged phones in one body. This is because such devices have two separate radio modules (one for each SIM card). This provides the subscriber with a constant presence on the network on both numbers. Of course, such a system is more convenient. But we must take into account that phones with two active cards are often significantly more expensive. Samsung C5212 Duos, LG GX500 and some others have two radio modules.
Of course, there are also phones with old Standby technology, when cards are switched manually. But such devices are gradually leaving the market, becoming history.

Two SIM – double power consumption.

This statement applies more to devices with Active technology. Simultaneous operation of two radio modules significantly increases energy consumption. Therefore, we conclude: the battery capacity of a “dual-SIM” device is far from a minor factor.

Dual SIM smartphones.

A special caste of “two-SIM users” are smartphones with two cards. This area is not yet so numerous, but is growing rapidly. After all, one of the benefits of devices with two SIM cards is the ability to use one card for calls, and the second for working with the Internet. And for the latter, “smart phones” are much more interesting. Among the popular smartphones with two SIMs today, we note the ViewSonic V350, devices from the Gigabyte brand (GSmart S1205, Rola, others) and many Chinese clones of popular models.
Supports different networks.
Let us also remember that communication modules in phones with two SIM cards can provide connections in networks of different generations. More expensive devices often offer one standard GSM module, and a second one supporting 3G technology. This is again convenient for smartphones and for active work on the Internet.

Dual-SIM smartphones have long become no less popular than their “regular” counterparts. Previously, on the market you could find not the most productive Dual SIM solutions from A-brands and Chinese powerful smartphones, but recently more and more flagship devices are acquiring dual-SIM versions. Because of this, the popularity of Dual SIM phones is only growing. If you want to get such a device, you should know some nuances. We'll talk about them in this article.

Previous interesting articles on the topic:

Classification of dual-SIM smartphones

Not everyone knows that dual-SIM smartphones are divided into 3 types:

1. Passive Dual SIM - this technology is already obsolete and, fortunately, can no longer be found in modern devices. Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning, at least for informational purposes.

The bottom line is this: only one radio module is built into the device and only one of the two SIM cards can be active. To receive calls on a specific SIM card, you will have to go into the settings each time and select which SIM card you want to leave active.

2. Dual SIM Stand-By - this type of dual-SIM phone also has one radio module built-in, but two SIM cards are active at the same time. The catch is that when you talk on one of them, the second one becomes inactive, that is, they won’t be able to call you on it. But when the conversation ends, both SIM cards become active again.

3. Dual SIM Active - full-fledged operation of two SIM cards. Such devices have two radio modules built in and both SIM cards remain active even when there is an incoming call to one of them, so you won’t be able to miss a call.

Working with Dual SIM

Importing/exporting contacts on dual-SIM phones is the same as on regular phones, except that you have two SIM cards installed. Therefore, for example, when transferring contacts from a SIM card to Android, you will be asked to choose from which SIM card you want to import contacts into your Google account.

In the same way, you can choose a SIM card.

In general, working with Dual SIM is practically no different from working with regular smartphones, with the exception of the ability to select a SIM card for a particular option.

Disadvantages of dual-SIM smartphones

Dual-SIM smartphones are good for everyone, but such devices also have disadvantages. The most important thing is energy consumption. This does not apply to Dual SIM smartphones with one active radio module, but owners of Dual SIM Active should remember that two simultaneously active SIM cards consume more battery power.

It is also worth noting that Dual SIM Active is also more expensive, although in practice this technology is only needed by those who talk on the phone a lot. Everyone else will not feel the difference, because it is unlikely that two subscribers will call you on different numbers at the same time.

Almost every manufacturer has at least a couple of phones in their lineup that support dual SIM cards. But dual-SIM smartphones are a fairly new category.

Largely thanks to Russian companies, the virtual shelves of online stores are now “crowded” with a selection of “dual SIM” smartphones running Android. What are these models good for, what are their disadvantages and who can they benefit from?

Arguments for"

The first and most important advantage of dual-SIM smartphones is user convenience: the ability to carry one phone instead of two will appeal to almost everyone.



And dvukhsimoviki help many people save money. Currently, the status of a smartphone always implies support for high-speed Internet access via 3G. The large touch screen of the device is great for surfing the Internet, communicating and many other tasks that one way or another require being online. However, tariffs with affordable Internet traffic prices rarely offer inexpensive calls and SMS - so for maximum savings it will be more convenient to use two SIM cards at once.

In a similar way, combining two tariffs can be beneficial for tourists or those who are often on the move: in order to be accessible at your usual number, we leave the old SIM card in one slot, and in the second we install a local one, from which calls home will be made. most likely cheaper than roaming calls.

A spoon of tar

Of course, it was not without its drawbacks. The only really significant inconvenience is the presence of only one radio module in all Android models. This means that in standby mode, both SIM cards will work simultaneously. However, as soon as you start a conversation on one of them, the second one becomes inactive. Accordingly, the person calling it will receive a notification that the subscriber is unavailable and will not be able to establish a connection. This unpleasant situation can be fixed extremely simply: just set up forwarding between SIM cards.




It would seem that the most obvious solution would be to install two radio modules in smartphones at once, but in this case, power consumption will increase significantly. And current models, due to the many multimedia functions and 3G support, are already diligently “eating” battery power.

In the world

The world's first Android smartphone with support for two SIM cards was released in August 2009, it was the General Mobile DSTL1. At that time, the model could boast of good characteristics: a 3-inch screen, a processor with a frequency of 624 MHz and a 5-megapixel camera. Along with its attractive design, the device seemed promising, but ultimately did not become widespread.




MyPhone A210 was released in October 2010, but there is practically no information about this device.

Over the next two years, smartphone manufacturers finally recognized a new niche and began actively releasing models. However, many market leaders still have not released more than one. The reason is that, thanks to the efforts of an army of nameless Chinese manufacturers, for a long time a smartphone with a pair of SIM cards was perceived by consumers exclusively as a budget solution and was not in great demand.

Companies such as Samsung and LG did not miss the opportunity to get their place in the sun in the fast-growing segment. Thus, Samsung introduced its first dual-SIM models in December last year, they were the Galaxy Y Duos and Galaxy Y Pro Duos. The manufacturer immediately covered two categories of consumers: those who prefer control only from the touch screen and those who require a physical QWERTY keyboard for frequent typing. Both devices turned out to be attractive in terms of price-quality ratio and can be considered a successful debut by Samsung in the segment of Android smartphones with two SIM cards.

LG's start was no less promising. The company released the Optimus model.

It offered a good (for that time) screen, the latest version of Android and hardware characteristics that allowed it to qualify for the middle class of smartphones. Thus, being somewhat late for the “ball,” the giants of the mobile industry were able to immediately present high-quality developments.

In Russia

In Russia, dual-SIM smartphones appeared in 2008 and were noted until 2010 with only three models: Sitronics SDC-106, Glofiish DX900 and Gigabyte GSmart S1205. Their disadvantage was that they ran under Windows Mobile. That is, the potential dawn turned into a sunset at the same time, since Android had already appeared on the horizon.




The debut Android smartphone for Russia that supports two SIM cards was the Gigabyte GSmart G1310 in 2011. Around the same time, Highscreen Cosmo Duo went on sale. It became a continuation of Highscreen Cosmo, which lost the color music function, but acquired an additional slot for a SIM card. Further models only strengthened Highscreen's position as a pioneer in this segment.




Among the 2011 models, I would like to highlight the Highscreen HD Duo. Despite the weak processor with a frequency of 416 MHz, it was the first Russian “dual SIM” with the largest screen. A diagonal of 4.3 inches with a high resolution of 800 by 480 pixels became the starting point of a seemingly small but fundamental revolution.




As we can see, the history of Android smartphones with a pair of SIM cards is happening literally before our eyes and is only now beginning to reach its first heights. And, let's face it, largely thanks to Russian brands like Highscreen, teXet and Explay. Thanks to their efforts, dual-SIM smartphones with Android have already been able to stand on par with advanced devices from manufacturers such as Samsung and LG.

Thus, in the summer of 2012, the release of the Highscreen Alpha GT and GTR line of smartphones became a turning point. They received high-quality screens with an IPS matrix (manufactured by Sharp, Japan), which is now used in the most expensive phones. The GT model with a 4-inch display confidently opened a new standard for mid-segment models, and the GTR took upon itself the title of a real discovery of the Russian market. Here it became the first smartphone with a 4.5-inch screen with an HD resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels and a dual-core processor. Models with similar characteristics and one SIM card from famous brands cost almost twice as much - 20-25 thousand versus 11,990 rubles for the Highscreen Alpha GTR.




Both models have a high-capacity 2,100 mAh battery, ensuring operation without recharging for up to two days. There are no alternatives to GTR yet, but along with the GT version, the backbone of available high-quality dual-SIM devices now consists of Explay Infinity and Advance, as well as teXet TM-4504 and TM-5204.

It is noteworthy that the Highscreen Alpha GT and Alpha GTR models have unique characteristics. In particular, these are one of the few budget devices with 1 GB of RAM. They were created specifically for the Russian market and specifically for Highscreen, while many Russian companies sin by buying ready-made devices from China, which have many analogues and even clones on sale.

For the future

The future of dual-SIM Android smartphones, in our opinion, is very bright. In just a few years, they were able to come close from a technical point of view to flagship smartphones. And the persistence of Russian developers clearly shows that they do not intend to stop there. Moreover, in this segment, local players may well repel such “monsters” as LG and Samsung, because the main consumer of models with support for two SIM cards is a user who plans to save money and not overpay for the brand.

The number of radio modules available for use in a mobile device is determined by the manufacturer of the mobile device. In a dual-SIM phone using 1 radio module, both SIMs operate in standby mode. When a call comes from one operator, the second one becomes unavailable. Thus, the phone allows you to use two SIMs, but only one is still active. A similar situation arises for phones with one radio module when using Internet services: only one SIM can receive and transmit packet data, while the second card is in standby mode.

Devices that have 2 built-in modules can simultaneously work with two telecom operators. During a telephone conversation, the subscriber can receive a call to the second SIM card, i.e. If desired, the user has the opportunity to carry on conversations with two people without interrupting the call. As soon as the phone user answers the second call, the first conversation goes into standby mode. After ending the conversation with the second caller, the user can return to the conversation with the first person.

Switch between SIMs

To switch between active SIM cards in use, manufacturers add additional functions to the software of their devices. At the same time, some phones additionally implement a button for switching active cards, located on the front side or side panel of the device. Some devices provide the user with 2 keys for making a call to a subscriber, each of which is assigned to each person.

Advantages and disadvantages

Among the advantages of such devices is the opportunity to save on mobile communications. You can install cards from 2 different service providers into your phone. For example, the first operator can offer cheap calls to telephone network subscribers, while the second one makes it possible to send SMS or exchange packet data on the Internet. For people who use equipment in the course of their lives, the device will become an ergonomic alternative.

Among the disadvantages of dual-SIM devices, one can note their inflated cost compared to single-SIM models. However, the modern mobile phone market offers a large number of budget models that will satisfy the requirements of even the most economical consumer.

You can’t force someone with no experience communicating with modern technology into the settings section of your smartphone. This approach sometimes leads to confusion, and a gadget that has not been told exactly how to behave begins to live its own life. One prominent example is a smartphone with two SIM cards, which people use together to optimize mobile communications costs. However, such optimization will be of no use if the smartphone does not receive precise instructions from you when and which SIM card to use.

It’s easier with calls and SMS: most smartphones, when you try to call or send a message, ask each time which SIM card number you need to use. The main thing here is to initially know your SIM cards in person and understand which one is the first and which is the second. As a last resort, this point can be clarified in the settings, in the “SIM Card Management” section.

There you can see which operator serves each card.

If the operator is the same, as in our example, you will have to deal with the numbers. Each operator has its own capabilities for clarifying the number corresponding to the SIM card. In MTS, you can call the short number 0887 from the desired SIM card: the answering machine will dictate the number. This call is free.

Let's go online

On your smartphone with two SIM cards, the situation with mobile Internet is more complicated. If you open a social networking app or browser, your gadget, without asking you anything, simply connects to the Internet using the specified settings, and possibly through the wrong SIM card. This is why it is important to be able to change settings.

In the screenshot above, find the “Default data transfer” option. You see that data transfer (i.e. mobile Internet) is configured for the second SIM card. At the very top of the screenshot you can see that for each of the SIM cards the types of cellular networks that can be used are described. In particular, the first SIM card has access to any network, including the fastest, 4G. The second card is only “capable” of 2G, and therefore is only suitable for calls and extremely slow mobile Internet. Obviously, you should change the settings by switching the Internet to the first SIM card, like this:

We climb under the hood

There is an important nuance: the availability of modern cellular networks often depends not on the SIM card and the complete coverage of operator networks, but on how you place the SIM cards in your gadget. The fact is that in many phone models, only one of the two SIM card slots can provide connection to 3G and 4G networks. The second slot has limited functionality and is only compatible with 2G and calls. We took our screenshots from just such a smartphone.

If you mix up the slots and the SIM card for the mobile Internet is in the wrong place, you will have to swap the cards. In some smartphone models, during this procedure you will encounter another problem: sometimes the slots are designed for SIM cards of different sizes. To resolve this problem, the SIM card can be replaced while maintaining the number at the operator’s office, telling its employee what size card you need. As a rule, the SIM card replacement procedure will not cost you anything.