ZTE Nubia Z9 Mini: The able Android smartie the company won't sell you

Re: Dual sim

Mine changes the sim depending on where I am. It appears to pick up the network for each of the sims and switches as necessary. If there is a conflict it gives me a choice of which one to use.

There is also a very good sim management application that even goes as far as locking to one sim if necessary.

Unfortunately, I have vet to find many details about dual sim phones and their use. I think this may be down to the fact that most phones are supplied by an operator that has a vested interest you using their network only.

Re: Dual sim

I am using the Alcatel onetouch <sic> dual sim and it is the best phone I have used in years. The battery life is impressive and it turns itself off at night and on in the morning saving further power.

Well done those French chappies.

Re: Dual sim

I took a punt on the Umi Zero a while ago. It is not 4G, so if this is a necessity look elsewhere.

It meets my needs perfectly, can manage and name each sim separately, eg., work and personal. Manage the contacts to dial accordingly or ask which sim to use. One sim can be removed and a memory card installed instead.

Only downside is the deliver time it took to come from China

Oh, and she that must be obeyed liked it so much she has purchased one also. So far ( six months in, I have had no issues)

Hope that helps a little

Re: Dual SIM - Moto G II

Moto G II dual sim capabilities (only dual SIM I've ever had so nothing to compare with, still using factory 4.4.4 Android, no relevant add-ons)

For calls+SMS: it's pretty much spot on. You can have either or both SIMS active at any time, for incoming and outgoing. For outgoing calls, you can select a default-SIM-for-everything, default-per-address-book-entry, or prompt for SIM every time. Auto-choose SIM depending on location and/or auto-choose SIM depending on coverage would have been nice. Maybe if I let it update the software (like it's been asking to do for ages) they will magically appear. More likely something useful will disappear, so I don't let it update.

For data (incl MMS): not so clean, but I'm not sure why. If you've got both SIMs enabled, effectively only one can do data. Thus if you've got to send an MMS on the "wrong" SIM (so it appears to come from e.g. the business rather than private number), it's a bit awkward; if you have data and coverage for both SIMs, it will switch briefly to the other SIM, send the MMS, and switch back again, which may not be a huge problem.

On the other hand it's tedious if you need to send an MMS on the "wrong" SIM for coverage reasons. E.g. I have EE and O2, my published number is O2, my incoming stuff (calls, texts, MMS) is O2, but for coverage reasons I am increasingly using EE. If I get an MMS on O2, and am in the "wrong" coverage area, replying to it is a bit of a nightmare. Why is it this hard? No idea whether it's architected like this in the standards, whether it's a restriction of the chipsets (?seems unlikely), or whether it's a fixable restriction of the software.

This may or may not be a niche use case.

Sound profiles etc are typically selectable using something built in or a freebie add-on, regardless of SIM implications. The Moto G has a built in app for this kind of thing but I haven't used it for ages.

Day to day? It works for me. It could be improved. Because I'm using it for coverage reasons, it suits my voice and SMS usage. It's less convenient for data+MMS usage.

Obviously the G II is now superceded by the G III. I've seen no mention yet of a dual-SIM option, and wouldn't personally be fussed anyway. The G II does what I need (mostly).

Best of luck with your search.

Re: Dual sim

Indeed I would like to see El Reg do a proper test of dual SIM phones as there are a lot of Chinese ones (and well known brands as well) but no one has done a proper review as yet. I would dearly love to get one as this would end the carrying around of two smart phones everywhere (one personal and the other for work).

Re: Dual sim

Currently I'm running an Asus Padfone Mini. (Intel version) Basically a Zenfone4.

Dual SIM works very well.

You can make or receive calls on either SIM although you can set a preferred default SIM.

You can set the phone to dial out on the same SIM as a previous incoming call.

For data, you select one or the other and can relatively easily switch between the two although this does involve the phone disconnecting from the networks during the switch.

I wouldn't ever have a Single SIM phone again.

Pity this ZTE "Mini" is so massive. Otherwise it could have be an interesting next phone.

Re: Dual sim

My wife has a Lumia 735. Or 730. Whichever is the dual-SIM variant :)

It was under 150 quid and she loves it. Job done.

Re: Dual sim

I've been using dual sim phones for a few years (Chinese Frankenphones) and they work absolutely fine. Receiving stuff is seamless - you may or may not know which line it is coming in from depending on software, but you don't have to so anything to set that up. You decide which sim to use when you make a call. send a text, connect to data or whatever. I am sure that you can also do this automatically as well, but that might be dependant on software. Bottom line, I have never had any connection issues (in about 9 or 10 countries around the world) and have many options for cheaper connectivity while travelling.

I pick up local PAYG SIM cards wherever I happen to be (these are a great deal in developing countries, just buy them on the street rather than buying them in the airport) and I have had some cards active for years now. I do sometimes get funny looks when I sit on the 'plane and open up my travel walleet and choose through 6 or 7 SIM cards, but I think that is getting less noticeable now as well. My Tesco card I use about once a year when I am back in the UK, but I have had this for years now. Just spent three weeks in the US where my T-Mobile card was great for data ($10 per week for unlimited) although calls and texts were still a bit expensive on that plan.

My current 'phone has one standard and one micro-SIM slot. I had a bad experience with using an adapter so I went with this as the best option on my last purchase. All my current 'travelling' SIM cars are the full-size ones, but I am sure you can get smaller ones now so I will probably not bother with this on my next 'phone.

I have even seen three SIM phones advertised (on DX.com or AliExpress), but I think that may be going a bit too far. Sometimes even this seems like a gimmick, but on quite a few occasions in the 5 or 6 years, have a local and international number has been very useful to me persomally and i don't think I will go back.

Re: Dual sim

Been very happy with my HTC One Dual Sim, works as you expect, both sims active all the time, text messages arrive on both sims, I've not checked what happens if you receive a call one one sim whilst already on a call ont he other. Generally Dual Sim phones tend to be a lower spec version of their parent phone in the case the HTC One M8 and you can struggle to buy accessories for them, for instance their is no car kit from HTC for the Dual Sim and the M8 one does not fit as the power port is in the wrong place.

Sometimes have to reboot the phone as a sim will lock out but that's about it. Great as a work/personal phone with seperate numbers/sims for each and for keeping in touch as I'm out and about a lot and get more chance of a signal with two different network providers.

Re: I might have a look at one of these...

Lollipop screwed my Nexus 4 too. Has killed the mobile data.

Went through all Jelly bean/KitKat updates without a hitch and Lollipop...whoops.

Maybe its part of Google's planned obsolescence plan for older Nexus phones? That or piss poor testing.

Re: I might have a look at one of these...

I had problems with my Z1 as well. The usual fantastic battery life went down to about 12 hrs off a full charge and the phone was often hot when not being used. It was also having regular problems connecting to the mail server and the internet.

I found that it was something to do with the mail apps - (I say apps, because I had recently received a notification to integrate gmail with my mail app in some way). I ended up un-installing the gmail and stock mail apps and then reinstalling the mail app - my phone is now back to normal.

Re: Mini - looks like the BMW definition is catching on...

Had you written that two years ago I would have agreed.

Oh well.

Re: ...but when can I get an iOS dual sim phone

From what I've seen, their aim is to go without SIM altogether soon - the question is then if they allow two separate registers for whatever data a SIM holds so you have dual SIM functionality.

Re: Capacitive buttons? Oh hell no.

On all five ROMs I've had on my phone, all allow the capacitive buttons to have haptic and/or sound feedback. Not in the keyboard settings though as that's just for the soft keyboard, usually it's in the sound settings.

How you find them in the first place, well, that could be annoying.

Re: I bought a dual sim 7'" phone on Amazon for £35

(Annoyingly BlackBerry 10 left off the ability to switch to 2G only (there are a few places where 3G data is useless, and switching to 2G manually would be good)

The ability to force the network mode is crucial. As an example if there is network/cell issue where 4G handover to 3G fails you will not receive any calls. In that situation the only way to receive calls is to force the phone to 3G/2G mode. That is if the phone is used for well...receiving phone calls.