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Best DUAL SIM android phone?

ZippoM said:
Thanks for the replies!

EmilF:


This is another important issue with Dual Sim phones, as most of them offer only one (fixed) slot for 3g,4g LTE etc, and GSM on the other.The "Sim 1" and "Sim 2" thing!
Another problem with the reviews of the Dual Sim phones is, that the reviewers hardly mention the quality and implementation of this feature, concentrating on the other aspects and qualities of the phone (cameras, sound etc) as with the "normal" phones.
I don't mean to doubt your word on the Honor 6, but GSM Arena lists this phone as: "Micro-SIM, dual stand-by". which proves the above point!
EtoTalk lists almost all Dual Sim phones as "Full Active"!! Very misleading!

How does your Honor 6 manage the 2 sim function? Does it give you the possibility to have complete "profiles" for each sim, like own colour, name, sound and wallpaper as in e.g. the Galaxy s Duos, or a simpler scheme as in my latest Moto G 2014, which is much simpler and makes itself present only when you make, or receive call?
Having changed from the Samsung to the Moto G, I was a little disappointed to find that the G's dual sim implementation is much plainer and there is no indication on which sim you are "using" at any given moment.
It just flashes the sim's icon with an incoming call and gives you the choice to choose between the two sims in a small window when you want to place a call.
The "teaching" of the wizard to choose automatically which sim to use according to the phone number used is of dubious usefulness, as you can simply decide to use either, to call any of your contacts.
Click to expand...

The implementation is simple. You can choose a custom name and ringtone for each sim, but no color. You can set a default sim for calls and sms, a sim for data and select 4G sim (Honor 6 plus only).

When making a call you have two call buttons with the custom names. When receiving a call, the name of the sim is shown.

Crake said:
I just have since middle of 2013 an HTC one M7 802W Dual sim, and i ensure you that it is really DSFA.
Click to expand...

Yes sorry, I was referring to newer/current models, not the old models. Yes One M7 802W is Full Active, but current models HTC One M8 and E8 models are Dual Standby. The same with Samsung where Note 3 is Full Active, but Note 4 and S5 is Dual Standby only.
 
I live in the UK and am interested in a dual sim phone. Specifically, I'd want a SIM slot supporting 4G, and another one supporting at least 3G, and the ability to set which SIM connects to the internet without physically switching SIM.
This is because I use a 4G SIM in the UK and a 3G SIM in Italy, and I'd rather not have to swap SIMs around (an always messy process - so many SIMs ended up stuck in my Galaxy phones...).

Which phone supports this?

I understand the LG G3 dual sim doesn't (you physicially have to swap the SIMs around).
How about the dual sim versions of the S5, Note 3, Note 4 and Z3? I couldn't find any information on this.

Thanks!
 
EmilF said:
The implementation is simple. You can choose a custom name and ringtone for each sim, but no color. You can set a default sim for calls and sms, a sim for data and select 4G sim (Honor 6 plus only).
Click to expand...

With the Honor 6 and the Honor 6 plus, is one of the two SIM slots 4G only?
If I have two SIMs , for country 1 and country 2, and want to enable data on SIM 1 when I am in country 1 and data on SIM 2 when I am in country 2, can I select this via software, or do I have to physically switch the SIMs around, like for example I'd need to do on the dual sim version of the LG G3?

EmilF said:
Yes sorry, I was referring to newer/current models, not the old models. Yes One M7 802W is Full Active, but current models HTC One M8 and E8 models are Dual Standby. The same with Samsung where Note 3 is Full Active, but Note 4 and S5 is Dual Standby only.
Click to expand...

Same question as above for the dual sim versions of the Note 4 and S5: do I have to switch the SIMs around?

Thanks!
 
cdl said:
I live in the UK and am interested in a dual sim phone. Specifically, I'd want a SIM slot supporting 4G, and another one supporting at least 3G, and the ability to set which SIM connects to the internet without physically switching SIM.
This is because I use a 4G SIM in the UK and a 3G SIM in Italy, and I'd rather not have to swap SIMs around (an always messy process - so many SIMs ended up stuck in my Galaxy phones...).

Which phone supports this?

I understand the LG G3 dual sim doesn't (you physicially have to swap the SIMs around).
How about the dual sim versions of the S5, Note 3, Note 4 and Z3? I couldn't find any information on this.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The Z3 can switch 4G/3G service between the two sim cards from settings, without switching them physically. Note that only one sim can use 4G/3G at the time, the other will be 2G only. Don't know about the Samsungs.

cdl said:
With the Honor 6 and the Honor 6 plus, is one of the two SIM slots 4G only?
If I have two SIMs , for country 1 and country 2, and want to enable data on SIM 1 when I am in country 1 and data on SIM 2 when I am in country 2, can I select this via software, or do I have to physically switch the SIMs around, like for example I'd need to do on the dual sim version of the LG G3?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

For the Honor 6 Plus both sims support 4G, but only one can use it at the time. The 4G sim can be switched from settings, and the other uses 2G. So you won't need to switch physically, is is just a setting.

The Honor 6 have 4G one sim 1 only - so on the Honor 6 (not plus model) you will have to switch the cards physically. As I remember, on the first software versions you could switch from settings, but after later updates I could not find the setting. It is about a month since I have had the phone, so I cannot check, but you can ask in this thread.
 
EmilF said:
[...]

The Honor 6 have 4G one sim 1 only - so on the Honor 6 (not plus model) you will have to switch the cards physically. As I remember, on the first software versions you could switch from settings, but after later updates I could not find the setting. It is about a month since I have had the phone, so I cannot check, but you can ask in this thread.
Click to expand...

The Honor 6 and Honor 6 plus seemed very interesting, but I guess I'll have to go for other options because I understand that the 6 does not support 128GB microsd cards, and the 6 plus doesn't support a 2nd sim and a microsd card at the same time, even though it supports 128 GB microsd.

Thanks anyway for your time and your clarification!
 
Is there anyone with a dual version of the LG G3 who can help me understand a few things?

In the software, can you choose to disable the sim in slot 2 every now and then?

Where is the microsd slot? Above the sim 1 slot or separatey?

How easy is it to remove the SIMs? With many Samsungs it's a nightmare and SIMs often get stuck. Have you had your SIMs stuck in the G3,too? Judging form YouTube, it seems you can push the sim from one end to the other (which you cannot do on Samsungs). Is this true for the dual sim version, too?

Thanks!
 
Has anyone verified if the Honor 6 (not the plus version) supports 128GB microsd cards?
Supposedly it doesn't, but there are phones which support larger microsd cards than in their specs.
Also, am I right in understanding that with the Honor 6 plus you can have either a 2nd sin2or the microsd, whereas with the honor 6 you can have both at the same time?
 
which dual sim active phone has long battery life and at least 2GB? preferably 3GB but not sure if it exists, thanks!
 
reader said:
which dual sim active phone has long battery life and at least 2GB? preferably 3GB but not sure if it exists, thanks!
Click to expand...

The Huawei Honor 6 Plus has excellent battery life and 3 GB of ram + is dual sim full active.

The dual sim full active part limits the phones available significantly, as full active is quite rare.
 
Is this thread dead, or what?!!!:D

Small update, for those that are still around!
Two weeks ago I became the happy owner of a LG G3 D856 Dual SIM LTE.
Great phone in all respects, even if it's a year old!
I went for it, instead for the G4 because it has.......... the removable battery:cool:.
The specs of the phone have been covered more than enough, so I 'll concentrate on the Dual Sim aspect:
The Dual Sim implementation is a disappointment.
It is NOT full active, as suggested above, and there is no mention of the dual sim feature at all on the quick guide, or the PDF manual!
Shame for LG!
It has minimal settings (just the color and the name for each sim) and it is quite difficult to see on the home screen which sim is No 1 or 2, or which one is active.When you have, let's say sim 1 as your first, or "active" choice, the moment someone calls you on sim 2, that one becomes (and stays) active, or "on top", after you hang-up! Quite annoying and one needs to keep it in mind and watch the screen the next time he wants to call someone, as you can end up calling from the wrong sim!!
It can come costly if you are in another country (as I was) and your second sim card is pre-paid!
This is my third Dual-Sim phone (Samsung Galaxy S Duos, Motorola G 2014, LG G3 D856) and all I can say is that the Samsung "S" implementation of the Dual Sim feature is so far the best! It is the only one that gives you the tools to distinguish between the two sims at all times.
You can choose different colors, names, ringtones and screen wallpapers for each and the active sim is always clearly visible on the top of your screen. I don't know if the other Samsung Dual Sim models give the same choices, so anyone with a S5 Dual, can throw in their opinions!
 
I have a question. Is there a dual sim with 4g-4g available, as usually (for example moto g 3rd gen) is gsm-4g only.
or at least is there one where I can choose which one is 4g, because I do not need dual standby, I just need dual sim slot so I do not have to open the case everytime I want to change the sim.
Thanx
 
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EmilF said:
The implementation is simple. You can choose a custom name and ringtone for each sim, but no color. You can set a default sim for calls and sms, a sim for data and select 4G sim (Honor 6 plus only).

When making a call you have two call buttons with the custom names. When receiving a call, the name of the sim is shown.

Yes sorry, I was referring to newer/current models, not the old models. Yes One M7 802W is Full Active, but current models HTC One M8 and E8 models are Dual Standby. The same with Samsung where Note 3 is Full Active, but Note 4 and S5 is Dual Standby only.
Click to expand...


EmilF said:
The implementation is simple. You can choose a custom name and ringtone for each sim, but no color. You can set a default sim for calls and sms, a sim for data and select 4G sim (Honor 6 plus only).

When making a call you have two call buttons with the custom names. When receiving a call, the name of the sim is shown.

Yes sorry, I was referring to newer/current models, not the old models. Yes One M7 802W is Full Active, but current models HTC One M8 and E8 models are Dual Standby. The same with Samsung where Note 3 is Full Active, but Note 4 and S5 is Dual Standby only.
Click to expand...


Hello and greetings to everyone, from new guy,

Unfortunately... HTC 802W known as M7 is not dual sim full active. Anyway – not the one I bought from Merimobiles.
Agree - you can call from one card to another, but let’s try to keep data connection (like hotspot) on the one card, and take incoming call on another – data will be lost…
That mean – there are two GSM voice modules installed by one data module connected with one of sims, in this phone…

The only phone what used to have everything doubled (2xGSM, 2xData) so real dual sim full active was/is -> ZTE U960… I regret I sold mine and switched to HTC M7
 
Last edited:
rronald25 said:
I have a question. Is there a dual sim with 4g-4g available, as usually (for example moto g 3rd gen) is gsm-4g only.
or at least is there one where I can choose which one is 4g, because I do not need dual standby, I just need dual sim slot so I do not have to open the case everytime I want to change the sim.
Thanx
Click to expand...

There is several dual sim phones that supports 3G/4G on both sim, but only on one at the time. The 3G/4G card can be changes in settings.

Here is a few phones that I know have the feature:
  • Sony Xperia Z3 D6633 (dual standby)
  • Samsung Galaxy S6 (SM-G9200) (dual standby)
  • Huawei Honor 7 (PLK-AL10) (dual sim full active)
  • Huawei P8 Dual Sim (dual sim full active)
  • Huawei Honor 6 Plus (dual sim full active)
  • LG G4 H818N (on firmware after v10c) (dual standby)
I do not know of any phones supporting 4G on both sim's at the same time, and don't really see the need for it as 4G is only one sim uses data at the time.
 
oceanic123 said:
Hello and greetings to everyone, from new guy,

Unfortunately... HTC 802W known as M7 is not dual sim full active. Anyway – not the one I bought from Merimobiles.
Agree - you can call from one card to another, but let’s try to keep data connection (like hotspot) on the one card, and take incoming call on another – data will be lost…
That mean – there are two GSM voice modules installed by one data module connected with one of sims, in this phone…

The only phone what used to have everything doubled (2xGSM, 2xData) so real dual sim full active was/is -> ZTE U960… I regret I sold mine and switched to HTC M7
Click to expand...

LOL that is some old phones you are referring to :-) Anyway my 802W was full active, but allot can have happend since, changes in software updates and so on.

Huawei have several phones that are dual sim full active. Honor 6, Honor 6 Plus, P8, Honor 7, Mate 7. Also Asus Zenfone 2 is dual sim full active.

Dual Sim Full Active phones are a rare breed but there is certainly newer phones that the ZTE U960 available (from 2013 I beleve).
 
Hello - anyone here still? I am new, and a total NON-techy. I am trying to find a affordable, unlocked, full active dual sim phone, so that I can use one sim for personal and the other sim for business. I want something that works well as a PHONE, as I will be using it mostly for talk and text (I am currently still using an old flip phone), possibly email, but not at all for gaming, or streaming video, etc. A better camera than what I have now would be nice, but it wouldn't take much to be an improvement, lol! Priority is that I want to be able to clearly tell if an incoming call is personal or business (Sim 1 or Sim 2), and be able to choose which Sim to call (or text) out on, and if I'm on a call on one Sim, I want to be able to see and receive a call on the other Sim (which means I need Dual Sim Full Active, right?).

I have been researching this day and night for about 4 days now, and find it very frustrating that it is so difficult to determine whether a particular phone model is Standby or Full Active Dual Sim -there is so much conflicting information.

Thank you all of you on this forum who have helped to clarify. I was hoping to keep my cost under $200 (had chosen the BLU Life One X at $149 until I learned about Active/Standby and it is only Standby). After reading this thread, it looks like my best option might be the ASUS Zenfone 2, which is quite a bit more than I wanted to spend at around $299. I am also looking at the Huawei P8 Lite for $178.75 - but would like someone to confirm that it is Full Active. Also, if anyone has any other suggestion for me, I would appreciate it. I would consider an older phone (since having the latest and greatest has never been that important to me) if I could get a new (rather than used) one - I just want it to work well as a phone! Thank you for your help! btw, I'm in the US, on AT&T.
 
NeWbIe_vlc said:
Depenfing of the web, Asus 2 is or not, can someone confirm?
Click to expand...

Also looking for answer to this . . . have read conflicting information. Maybe there are different versions?
Does anyone have and use an ASUS Zenfone 2 who can confirm whether or not it is full active dual sim?

Same question for the Huawei P8 Lite ?
 
EmilF said:
There is several dual sim phones that supports 3G/4G on both sim, but only on one at the time. The 3G/4G card can be changes in settings.

Here is a few phones that I know have the feature:
  • Sony Xperia Z3 D6633 (dual standby)
  • Samsung Galaxy S6 (SM-G9200) (dual standby)
  • Huawei Honor 7 (PLK-AL10) (dual sim full active)
  • Huawei P8 Dual Sim (dual sim full active)
  • Huawei Honor 6 Plus (dual sim full active)
  • LG G4 H818N (on firmware after v10c) (dual standby)
I do not know of any phones supporting 4G on both sim's at the same time, and don't really see the need for it as 4G is only one sim uses data at the time.
Click to expand...


Do you know if the new Huawai Mate S is Dual Active? Looking to buy one in the next 24 hours if it is.
 
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