I, like a lot of people I know, have carried two cell phones, one for personal and one for work. You know, keeping church and state separate. Mainly because I’ve had the same personal number since about 1997, while I’ve had two or three work cell phone numbers over that same period of time.
I recently upgraded my work phone to an iPhone XS. Which it and all iPhones produced since, have a dual Sim feature. There is one physical Sim and an eSim. This way you can have two different cell plans on the same device. In the US you have to have both plans with the same carrier for it to work.
I can now receive calls and texts on either line on the same device.
My pocket has never felt lighter, well not since 1997.
Exactly. I have my regular phone number for some things (which I have had since 2001) and Google Voice for other things. Google Voice is free and super easy to set up and use.
Google voice is a miracle. Free unlimited calls from anywhere
(Philippines, etc) to any US or Canada number. Not supported by Firefox, has to be on Chrome.
My not-real-new Samsung DUOS phone (Android Lollipop now) contains two SIM sockets to accommodate different numbers, plans, or carriers. Either SIM can be set as preferred for voice or video calls or data. A setting allows calls to be received on one line while the other is active. Crossing a border? Leave #1 in place and slip another SIM into #2.
Wonderful! At long last, I can once again start calling people to ask if their refrigerators are running. Shops to ask if they have Prince Albert in a can. Oh. it’s been too long.
Yeah, I don’t understand why people go around carrying two phones. I’ve had a dual-sim-card phone for a while now, mainly to use it, as RioRico does, abroad, when I’m in Colombia, so I can have a local number there, with better data. (My US number actually works there, but it’s considered an international call, at something like 10 cents a minute.) But I’ve also had several Google Voice numbers for years, for professional reasons. Carrying two phones just to have two numbers is just silly.
I can go online and, with a few clicks, buy half a dozen numbers and forward them any way I want, so that is no limitation.
The thing with the multiple SIMs is that, for a long while, if you wanted to avoid roaming charges when traveling, you had to pop the right SIM in when crossing an international border, either using multiple phones, one with multiple slots, one of those programmable 16-in-1 SIM cards, or whatever. It may still be possible to rack up charges, but soon regulation and/or technology will finally put a stop to it once and for all.
I had a phone which accepted two physical Sims. Mine weren’t even from the same country: I used it in Sweden, with a sim and number from Spain and one from Sweden.
I’ve had two numbers for over ten years. I use both frequently. It’s never been a problem. They look different on the screen. I don’t do this but you can have a different ring tone. Like millions of people do this and they don’t have an issue. I am sure there have been very occasional problems but I can’t see how one would happen in my very common use case.
In your silly example:
How would both your SO and you client having the same number make this less likely to happen?
I never suggested my SO and client have the same number.
I have two phones in entirely different cases. One in each pocket. Different ring tones. I never mix up my personal phone and work phone because it’s two different phones. Different lock screens etc.
I wouldn’t want one phone with two numbers. I already explained why.
I meant both of them having the same number for me. I wasn’t clear there. Anyway, I assure you, effectively everyone can manage having a separate Google Voice number, even children.
If you have a work phone that requires you to install a MDM profile, it can grant your work quite significant access to rights on that phone such as the ability to remotely wipe it or allow the company to read all your emails. In such cases, it can be cleaner to keep two phones with completely separate data so there’s no crossover.
Additionally, America is quite far behind on these things and it was only recently that it’s been possible to buy most phones with dual SIM capabilities. Other countries have demanded dual SIM features for much longer so most popular brands have a dual SIM model.
My phone can use two SIMs. Unfortunately, one tray accepts either a SIM card or SD card, so I can have either a SIM card and SD card or two SIMs. If I want to use two SIMs, I have to do without an SD card.
