Multitasking the new phone
December 16, 2006 12:03 PM Subscribe
GSM cellphones: is there an easy (and legit) way to integrate two phone #s from the same provider on one SIM card so I don't have to lug around two phones?
Just ordered a Treo 650, which despite potential flaws is a huge step above my present tin can. For work and home, I've got Cingular and would love to ditch the goofy work phone.
Just ordered a Treo 650, which despite potential flaws is a huge step above my present tin can. For work and home, I've got Cingular and would love to ditch the goofy work phone.
See previous thread. Looks like Nextel is the only domestic provider that does it.
posted by kookoobirdz at 12:11 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by kookoobirdz at 12:11 PM on December 16, 2006
Something like a Sony Ericsson T200 has a 2 line service feature, but you need a provider that offers the service, too. In the U.S., as far as I know, Nextel has been the dominant 2 line mobile provider.
posted by paulsc at 12:27 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by paulsc at 12:27 PM on December 16, 2006
Perhaps something like GrandCentral would work for you? It lets you get a single number that can ring up to (I think) 6 numbers, and you can customize it by caller (IE, boss rings only work cellphone, Mom rings only home phone, wife rings all lines, etc). It means giving all your contacts a new phone number, which may be a dealbreaker.
posted by Rock Steady at 12:29 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by Rock Steady at 12:29 PM on December 16, 2006
I use call forwarding and then rely heavily on caller ID
posted by InkaLomax at 12:34 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by InkaLomax at 12:34 PM on December 16, 2006
Why not combine those ideas? Forward your calls from both numbers into GrandCentral or one if its competitors.
posted by nicwolff at 12:36 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by nicwolff at 12:36 PM on December 16, 2006
Another alternative would be to check and see if your one of your phones allows for call forwarding. If it does, just have it forward to your Treo. That way you aren't giving out your personal number to your co-workers, but they can still reach you.
posted by quin at 12:36 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by quin at 12:36 PM on December 16, 2006
Response by poster: Interesting thoughts w/ GrandCentral, but it wouldn't be just about receiving the calls from my work #, but placing them from there as well. I'd really like to keep the airtimes separate, and not have to give out a new #. Still worth thinking about... thanks.
posted by moonbird at 1:22 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by moonbird at 1:22 PM on December 16, 2006
Luckily, GrandCentral provides outgoing caller ID corresponding to your GrandCentral number.
posted by allterrainbrain at 4:39 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by allterrainbrain at 4:39 PM on December 16, 2006
(They do this by calling both you and the party you're reaching and establishing a connection between the two of you.)
posted by allterrainbrain at 4:39 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by allterrainbrain at 4:39 PM on December 16, 2006
I tried a dual SIM solution for trying to have my work and home calls come into the same phone, and be able to switch so I could use my work number for international calls or long calls that would soak up my personal minutes.
What I bought didn't really work. The trouble was the battery compartment was just too tight to have the second full-sized SIM on that little ribbon cable.
So what I've done is have call forwarded my work number to my home number. As long as the calls are short I'm not too worried about minutes. I keep the office phone in my bag [when I travel] and off for when I need to make a call -- mostly international -- that would cost me $.
I only use the voicemail on my personal account. The message is generic so it sounds professional enough.
The address book on my phone has both work and personal contacts. So work-related calls show up on caller ID so I know how to answer -- or to let it go to voicemail if I'm incapacitated.
The only cost involved is my work phone account gets charged airtime when it forwards calls to my cell number. Which it get anyway if I had answered that phone. And of course my bucket of minutes gets dinged for when I'm on the phone. But it sure beats carrying around two phones all the time.
posted by birdherder at 5:31 PM on December 16, 2006
What I bought didn't really work. The trouble was the battery compartment was just too tight to have the second full-sized SIM on that little ribbon cable.
So what I've done is have call forwarded my work number to my home number. As long as the calls are short I'm not too worried about minutes. I keep the office phone in my bag [when I travel] and off for when I need to make a call -- mostly international -- that would cost me $.
I only use the voicemail on my personal account. The message is generic so it sounds professional enough.
The address book on my phone has both work and personal contacts. So work-related calls show up on caller ID so I know how to answer -- or to let it go to voicemail if I'm incapacitated.
The only cost involved is my work phone account gets charged airtime when it forwards calls to my cell number. Which it get anyway if I had answered that phone. And of course my bucket of minutes gets dinged for when I'm on the phone. But it sure beats carrying around two phones all the time.
posted by birdherder at 5:31 PM on December 16, 2006
Easy...ish.
Transfer one of the numbers to a VOIP provider and forward it to the primary cell number. I use Vonage @ home for this. We do the same thing with our home phone number when we travel.
This is how I manage a legacy personal cell phone number that my family uses on a work phone (I have unlimited minutes/etc/etc).
posted by iamabot at 5:00 PM on December 17, 2006
Transfer one of the numbers to a VOIP provider and forward it to the primary cell number. I use Vonage @ home for this. We do the same thing with our home phone number when we travel.
This is how I manage a legacy personal cell phone number that my family uses on a work phone (I have unlimited minutes/etc/etc).
posted by iamabot at 5:00 PM on December 17, 2006
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posted by quin at 12:09 PM on December 16, 2006