Dual sim chip cell phone

December 2, 2009 9:08 PM

Please help me figure out what brand/type of cell phone to get.

I am in Qatar. I need to get a dual sim chip cell phone to use for the next year. Unfortunately, electronics here are very expensive. I would like to purchase one online and stay under $150.

I've seen quite a few dual sim phones on ebay, but they are all associated with a cell service, i.e. T Mobile. Can those phones work in Qatar? Do I just look for an "unlocked" phone that holds two sim chips?

Any recommendations on a phone with a qwerty keyboard, dual band, dual chip?

posted by Juicylicious to Technology (5 answers total)

Can't you get someone to unlock it in Qatar?

I suggest nokia due to excellent durablilty and long battery life.

No underground cell phone market in Qatar? That seems odd. Have you asked the locals?
posted by pick_the_flowers at 9:40 PM on December 2, 2009

Take this with a massive pinch of salt, but I know of a businessman who travels internationally regularly on business and uses a Samsung SGH-D880. It's been out for a while, so you may be able to find one fairly cheaply. Unfortunately, from what I hear about it anecdotally, the battery life isn't as great as it might otherwise be but this is probably to be expected. It's probably been superseded since from what I can gather it came out in 2007, but again, this might make it more accessible price-wise.
posted by jaffacakerhubarb at 10:27 PM on December 2, 2009

Response by poster: I'm confused by "unlocking." If a phone is advertised as unlocked for a specific cell phone provider, can it only be used with that provider? I don't need a provider because I buy my sim chips from QTel, but apparently I need a phone that is unlocked to be used by any service.
posted by Juicylicious at 1:24 AM on December 3, 2009

Unlocked means you can use it on any network. Unlocked for a provider doesn't sound like unlocked.
posted by devnull at 6:50 AM on December 3, 2009

Regarding the eBay listings that say unlocked and claim T-Mobile as a provider, this might just be because you can use an unlocked phone with T-Mobile (and AT&T), usually. So many sellers will associate their listing with the providers you can use to make it more attractive for buyers who might not buy if they weren't sure it would work with their provider. Might be wise to double-check Qatar specifics with the seller as they may be able to answer with more authority. I would also consider browsing/joining howard forums, lots of good info there and many helpful folks.

I bought a cell phone (Nokia) in China and it performed fine over a couple of trips. However, the charger's voltage is not compatible with the U.S. standards, so you might want to look at that as well unless you want to deal with a voltage converter. I'd think most cell phones would be okay if purchased in the U.S., but just sayin'. Many friends used their own U.S. cell phones without great issue, but it was better to buy a Chinese phone as you could then text in Chinese. If support for a local language is important to you, I advise buying there.

Good luck!
posted by xiaolongbao at 8:32 AM on December 3, 2009