If you travel a lot to other cities or countries you probably know how expensive it can be to use your cellphone outside the coverage area for your plan. A lot of people who travel for business, have second homes, or even who go on vacation, end up carrying around two or more phones so they can stay connected at all times no matter where they are.
Of course there are also those of us who need to have one phone for business use and another for personal calls. Yet others have a couple of different subscriber accounts to ensure that they always have coverage if they live in rural areas where cellphone services can be a bit patchy.
But did you know that you can now find a wide range of handsets that take two or even three different SIM cards that can all be active at the same time? A
dual-SIM or tri-SIM cellphone works like the old-fashioned desk phone in your office, with multiple lines on a single device. In other words you can pick one handset with all the modern features you need, and use that for two or three phone numbers from different phone companies and even different countries.
Dual-SIM and
tri-SIM phones have been popular in Asia and other parts of the world for a few years now, but have only recently become available in the U.S. You probably won"t be able to get one from your cellphone service provider any time soon, though, since they don"t like to see their customers use other networks. The beauty of these new phones is, of course, that they"re unlocked and support SIM cards from all over the world.
A few of the big-brand handset manufacturers have started making phones with two or three card slots, but these are mostly aimed at developing countries. However, you can find a lot of very affordable dual- and tri-card
cellphones online. These devices, which tend to be imported from China, are usually good quality phones packed with high-tech features like touchscreens, GPRS connectivity, multiple GSM bands, MP4 players and TV reception.
When you switch to a dual/tri-SIM phone you can avoid paying all those roaming
charges that keep appearing on your monthly bill. Since you only need one cellphone from now on, and prices are so competitive anyway, you"ll also save money on the handset itself. And with only one piece of hardware to put in your purse or pocket, you"ll love the convenience of your new phone too.
