Dual-SIM Phones: Here to Stay?

Not one or two but 15 dual-SIM card phones from a single handset manufacturer – wow. Is this a sign of things to come in the mobile handset sector? Well, there is a lot up for grabs, considering the scores of handset launches by various manufacturers – those, whose single selling point besides the cost factor, is the dual-SIM option.
So what makes these phones so popular, I asked the MD of a new mobile handset manufacturer. He said:

Unlike the city-breed, migrants who come to work in cities like to have two numbers, one permanent and another that they can keep changing according to mobile plans.

Before we look at the various brands that manufacture dual-SIM mobiles and what consumers think of the feature, let’s look at the dual-SIM concept itself-
Dual-SIM phones are ones which can hold two SIM cards. These phones are predominantly of two kinds, the first where you have the option of switching between the SIM cards, while the other SIM remains inactive. This is known as ‘standby dual-SIM’. The other type of dual-SIM phone is what’s called the ‘active dual-SIM phones’, where both SIMs can be used together.
The dual-SIM technology has seen a steady progress over the years, from the time when SIM cards had to be clipped to be fit into an adaptor to the newer versions where SIMs can be alternated by just a click.
Major mobile players like Nokia, LG and Samsung are already absorbed into the dual-SIM race with phones such as Nokia C-series, Samsung GT B5722 and LG-KS660, naming a few. But the manufacturers who have made significant gains through their dual-SIM handsets are ones like Micromax, Spice and Karbonn mobiles – with handsets such as Micromax Q7 & X235, Spice D-90, D-1100, & D-88 and Karbonn K770 being sold extensively.
And with many more having entered or planning to, only time will tell how the dual-SIM handset market will shape up. Other relatively new entrants into the sector include G-Fone, Airphone, Intex, Maxx, Olive, Onida, Orion, Oscar, Videocon, Lemon, Infibeam, Fujezone, Sky, Fly, Wespro, Wynn and Zen mobiles (bet you didn’t know all of these existed). For details like the pricing of some of these handsets, click here.
We also asked a few people for their thoughts on dual-SIM phones. A majority of them felt it helped in separating their work-life from their social one. Here are some different takes-

The advantage dual SIM mobiles have over others is one of the SIM cards can be changed regularly to avail better mobile plans, while the other remains a permanent number.-Abhishek

I am particular about my mobile network coverage. In a dual-SIM phone, if you have trouble with the connection of one network, you can easily switch over to the other.-Shilpa

With the Dual-SIM, phone manufacturers could lose out on the handset numbers, while SIM-card sales could see a multifold rise. Finally some good news for mobile service providers.-Nikhil

There’s also an interesting piece written in The Economist that talks about the rise of dual-SIMs in developing countries like India. Quoting some of it:

In practice you use one SIM most of the time, and occasionally swap in another one. This is also common practice among people who travel a lot, and among cost-conscious users, such as teenagers, in the developed world.

For people juggling multiple SIMs, a dual-SIM phone therefore has obvious appeal: it allows your phone to act, in effect, as two phones at once, sitting on two networks, and may even be able to switch between active calls on different networks.

Looking at the biggest picture however, there are some more pertinent thoughts, which can be answered only in course of time. A few:

• When private players get operational with 3G, and will it have any impact on this segment of mobile users?
• Will mobile operators tie-up with handset-makers, and develop the phone contract business?
• How relevant is number portability in these times of Dual-SIM handsets?
And now, you take. You can also tweet us why you like or dislike dual-SIM phones.