The Cell Phone Mysteries, What is Dual Sim?

If you've followed the developments in the China cellphone wholesale market lately it seems that one SIM card is not enough, and there's a proliferation of mobile phones with at least two SIM cards.

Major wireless cell phone manufacturers like Samsung, Nokia and Motorola have been slow to catch up with Samsung only just releasing a model at the time this article was written.

So what's going on? Are the makers of these China cellphone wholesale brands that busy that they need two SIM cards? Did it only happen to so that they could avoid getting phone calls from their partner and how can it benefit us as consumers.

We attempted to get to the bottom of this dual mobile mystery.

What is dual SIM?
Dual SIM essentially refers to a phone that can hold and utilize two SIM cards in the same GSM cellular phone. It doesn't matter if they're dual SIM TV phones or any other dual SIM phones as long as they take two SIM cards and read them then they are dual SIM mobile phones.

How does dual SIM work?
The answer to this question all depends on the phone. Some types of unlocked phone have two CPUs (central processing units, the part of the phone that does the 'thinking') which allow them to potentially answer two phones at the same time. Essentially it means that you can receive signals for both numbers.

Not all dual SIM card phones have two CPUs and this can have two results for consumers. If the phone has call secretary software, or your carrier has an online call secretary service then if you're on the phone and another call comes in then it'll be shipped to voicemail. If no such software or option exists on your GSM dual mobile then the other caller will just be told that your line is busy.

So can I take two phone calls at the same time on a dual SIM phone?
Again the answer to that question depends on how many CPUs your phone has, if there is more than one then there should be no problem. But if your China cellphone wholesale phone only has the one CPU then you're only going to be able to take or make one phone call at a time.

Why dual SIM?
The concept of dual SIM cell phones suits many people for many reasons, regardless of whether you're interested in a phone from a major brand or a dual SIM phone from China. But the most-commonly given reasons are for coverage, economy and convenience.

When trying to get the best deal/best coverage out of your unlocked phone then sometimes the service of one carrier isn't enough and you need to set up two phones to make sure you're reachable at all times and you reduce the phone bill on your mobile phone. A cell phone that will handle two SIM cards should let you cut down costs while keeping two carriers on the same phone.

The other reason for two SIM cards is the ability to keep all of your personal and business contacts separate while keeping them in the same place.

Do both numbers in Dual SIM share the same memory?
Yes, Both numbers share the same telephone list and SMS library so there's no threat of wasting hours scrolling through two different libraries to find one message.

Why do most dual SIM phones come from China?
Nobody knows quite why dual SIM phone from China are so prevalent but with the volume of electronics being manufactured in China and the frequency that OEM manufacturers are used means that China cellphone wholesale makers are more likely to create new solutions and new features than phone makers from other parts of the world. Of course it could also be that they don't want their partners to see who else they're calling but we'll never know.

How does a dual SIM phone switch from one SIM card to another?
When you're using a wireless cell phone with two SIM cards when making calls is usually done by either pressing a button or making a menu selection.

When your dual mobile is receiving calls then it's simply a case of first come first serve and the caller who gets in contact with you first talks to you first, regardless of which SIM their details are on.

So there you go, some of the answers to dual SIM card phones that you probably wanted to know but were afraid to ask. One thing remains true, when it comes to unlocked cell phones or China cellphone wholesale manufacturers we are going to be seeing a whole lot more phones on the market with slots for two SIM cards. And that is definitely a good think in my books.