Dual SIM Card holder?

August 31, 2006 5:41 PM

Mixing Business & Pleasure on the Phone: Dual SIM card holder advice.

Back in the day, SeizeTheDay linked to some sites with Dual SIM card holders as way to have more than one phone line on a cellphone. I've heard of such devices but don't know anyone who has actually used them.

I have to have a work issued cellphone and want to keep my private cell phone number too. Work uses Cingular. I have TMo. My unlocked Sony K800i works with either company's SIM cards.

I have a shitload of minutes on my personal account and so I have my Work# forward to my Personal# and call from that account to people in the US. But when I travel internationally or need to make international calls, I want to use the work SIM. Right now, this means powering off the phone, switching SIMs and firing the phone back up. When I was living in Mexico a year or so ago, I'd do this to switch between my US account and my Mexico account to save dinero on domestic calls. I hated switching all the time since it seams it would wear the connections or I'd lose the SIM card like I did with a prepaid account I had in Canada last year.

The ideal dual SIM card holders would a) not require cutting down the SIM [I don't think the telecom department would like that] and b) could be swapped on the fly through the phone menu sound the like the best solution so I can switch over to the other line to make a call or check for voicemail, sms, etc and then switch back.

So has anyone used one of these things and recommend a particular brand/website to get?

posted by birdherder to technology (2 answers total)

I think you're going to be out of luck on the no-cutting-of-the-SIM part - From the animation on this auction, I'm getting that your K800i dosen't have enough room for two SIMs and connecting electronics. HowardForums isn't turning up a lot of joy on this, either.

As far as your telcom department goes, I don't think they're going to mind a hell of a lot: All they'll have to do is reactivate with another SIM. They might even be tickled if you give them the company phone back for reissue when somebody else breaks theirs. OTOH, 'It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission'.

I think you're going to have to put the phone in 'Flight mode' (Radio off) in order to change numbers: I don't know if this fits your definition of 'On the fly'. I can't imagine that any US GSM equipment would gracefully switch SIMs while the radio's powered up.(I've heard hints of european phones that will)
posted by Orb2069 at 7:52 PM on August 31, 2006

Technically my K800i is a European phone. I bought it from Expansys and it came with a UK power plug.

I found a site last night that has the dual sim reader using full-sized cards. There's a wire ribbon that you connect the second SIM to [between the batter and the cover so it doesn't take up any room between the SIM slot and the battery]. It does work without turning off the phone. The menu item shows up in the "entertainment" menu on the phone. It sounds like there's the same delay you encounter when you are roaming internationally and switch providers. It takes a few seconds for the phone to register on the new network.

It is a < $20 thing so i think i'll buy it and see if it will help.br>
Thanks
posted by birdherder at 12:12 PM on September 1, 2006