TheProf

Hello,

How is everyone doing today?

So I've scoured the net looking for a cell phone with specific requirements but I can't seem to find one. So I thought to turn to TFP for some expert help!

I'm looking (for someone) for the following features in a phone:

1) Quad band
2) Touchscreen
3) QWERTY keyboard
4) Windows Mobile OS
5) Dual Active SIM cards

It's that last feature that is proving to be the issue. I mean you can see this phone (E71 Style Dual Card Windows Mobile6.1 TV WIFI JAVA Qwerty Keypad Cell Phone Black (2GB TF Card)(SZ00510111) - US$ 176.99) has almost every feature, including the dual SIM cards, except they are in standby mode not active mode. In a nutshell the difference is that active SIM mode lets you send and receive calls from both SIM networks at the same time, while standby or passive mode requires you to select which SIM card you want to use, rendering the other off until you switch back.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

healer

I feel your pain, Prof. Back when I got my first "company allowance" phone, I sat with the same problem of wanting to receive calls for either SIM on the same device. It was hard (still is, in fact) to find just a dual-SIM phone back then - nevermind both being active.

In the end I just sent out a mass SMS to let people know that my work phone was now becoming my personal phone as well. If I change jobs I have the option of taking my number with me, which is nice. Something tells me you'll have to settle, in some way.

Good hunting.

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Xerxys

There are no phones with the specs you want with the dual active sim card feature. It's just not feasible to manufacture a smart phone with such a volatile feature especially on the GSM network. The old Nokia's might have the feature but they won't be winOS or smart phone either.

Martian

Really xerxys?


The Acer DX900 is what I found after some Googling. Dual active SIMs, Windows Mobile OS, and Quad Band. No QWERTY keyboard sadly, but it's a touch screen. The second SIM doesn't receive internet connectivity, and it's slightly limited in terms of frequencies. Looks like this might be your best option.

__________________
I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

TheProf

Hello,

Thanks for people's replies.

I realize that it is a long of specific features for one phone. It's a result of needing to use the phone for business in many different countries. The Windows Mobile OS allows the cleanest syncing with Outlook and various Office documents. The QWERTY keyboard is to respond to lengthy emails -- something you just can't do as easily with a screen keyboard and certainly not with the Windows Mobile screen keyboard. Quad-band is obvious. And while there are a bunch of them that have dual-SIM but only one active at a time, it's the ability to receive from both lines without specifying which SIM is the active one that is a bit rare.

I came across the DX900 and except for the lack of a physical keyboard it's exactly what I need! Hopefully someone else will have come across another phone with the requirements before I have to throw in the towel.

Thanks.

ironman

The only cell phones I know have dual sim capabilities besides the dx900, are asian phones like these: Link

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If I agreed with you we´d both be wrong

TheProf

Hello,

I came across this phone that seems to have all the stuff I am looking for, but I'm not sure, specifically about the Dual-standby SIM -- IE: that you can receive calls on both SIM cards at the same time

8310V JAVA Quad Band Dual Card Dual Camera Bluetooth TV Cell Phone Gray (2GB TF Card)(SZHX0307) - US$ 124.99

thanks,
Joseph

TheProf

Update on my own post -- that phone is not a true dual-sim. You have to manually switch from one SIM to the other to indicate which one is the active one.

*sigh* seems like the phone doesn't exist yet! Oh well. Thanks for everyone's help!

telekinetic

Any particular reason you haven't considered buying an external bluetooth keyboard, and using it for the rare cases where you need to respond to a long email? It'd be a more comfortable typing experience anyways.

Also, once you get your winmo phone, definitely look into installing Swype...improves the text entry process 100x with an onscreen keyboard. I've been running it on my G1 for a month and only pop the hard keyboard out about 1 time in 3.

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twisted no more

Rekna

Have you considered using something like google voice for your two numbers and have them forward calls to the same line? Thus you have the appearance of two separate lines but they both ring the same phone.

telekinetic

I actually thought of this...he could get a phone with a passive 2nd sim card, and forward it to his google voice number. However, when researching that, I found out the reason most people do two sim cards is for billing purposes, and All data and voice would be going out through a single SIM.

If it's not for billing, that's a great solution...you wouldn't even have to forward it, you could just run the Google Voice winmo app.

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twisted no more

TheProf

Hello,

Yes I did consider the Google Voice option -- the issue is that Google Voice isn't available in Canada/UK and so the issue of long distance starts to become a bigger roadblock than the dual-sim issue.

And telekinetic you are correct that a lot of it relates to cost and billing issues.

In the end it just doesn't seem like such a device exists. I've gone the route of getting the Palm Treo Pro for an excellent price from TigerDirect.ca and it's doing a fabulous job so far. I'll keep my eye on the cell phone market and who knows -- perhaps something will show up in the future!

Thanks for everyone's input -- greatly appreciated.