Ideas & Opinions
How many phones do you carry? The results are in!
By Mike on 23 September 2009
GLOBAL – Last week we opened the Conversations polling station to find out how many phones you carry, with a view to discussing why some folk carry multiple devices and exploring the solutions related to this topic. It was great to see so many of you get involved (we counted 825 votes – not by hand, of course), and as is often the case with this sort of poll some fascinating new debates and fresh stories emerged from within the sea of numbers, including some interesting chatter on dual SIM phones. Read on to find out how many devices most of you here reading Conversations carry in your pocket(s).
The largest group of Conversations readers carry two phones. 42% of you, in fact. Many of you shared your stories as to why, including the classic work/personal duo set-up, along with heaps of other different and thought-provoking accounts. The comments section related to the poll also kicked up debate around dual SIM phones (one of which earned comment of the week) – an area that we’ve yet to fully explore, but one that we’re keen to investigate further here on Conversations. Read all the comments here.
I was surprised to discover that 10% of Conversations readers carry three phones, and 4% carry four or more. See, I’m one of the 41% of you that carry one phone, and find it hard to imagine having to lug around a pocketful of different devices. Does it surprise you that 14% of Conversations readers carry three or more handsets? Scribble down your opinions and share your thoughts in the comments section directly south.
Then there’s the 1% (5 people) that don’t carry a phone at all. It would be great to hear your stories too.
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September 23rd, 2009 at 12:49 pm
If telcos managed to promote seriously the use of dual-sim cards, perhaps many consumers would opt for one [phone-to-rule-them-all].
Of course one other aspect should be taken into consideration:
- battery charging times… they are too long at the moment and not all customers like opening their cell phone just to change the battery.
Perhaps Nokia should design a fast ejection system for the batteries so they can be quickly interchangeable…
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cycnus Reply:
September 24th, 2009 at 10:36 am
In China,
the china unicom promote the use of dual sim card.
the first one is locked to china unicom, and the second one is free for any sim card.
In Indonesia,
there were lots of US$80-US$120 BB wanabe that feature dual sim card that the first sim card were locked to one phone provider and other were free for any other. there were 4 provider supporting this scheme here.
So,
expect this to spread to other country too.
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coy Reply:
September 24th, 2009 at 11:23 am
you donk righ
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Leon Reply:
September 25th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Uso dos, el primero un Nokia con señal de México y el segundo con celular y radio Nextel en USA
Antes de que saliera el Blacberry con radio y teléfono usaba tres aparatos.
Necesito que sea un teléfono con Dos cims México y USA carrier and Nextel Radio
Como abogado me desalinea mi traje
I use two, the first one is a Nokia with Mexico sim card and the second with USA sim card and Nextel radio
Before the Blackberry I used three devices a radio and 2 Cell Phones.
I need a device with dual-sim cards and Nextel Radio that works in Mexico and USA
Don’t misaligned my suit
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September 23rd, 2009 at 1:16 pm
I’m using one phone at the moment and will continue to use one phone and one sim number at a time but i’m planning to have as many phone as I can and just use them in alternate.
Will this defy the poll? c”,
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September 23rd, 2009 at 1:43 pm
I use one phone as i do not want to carry two around, however i do need too. i should have one for personal and one for work, but because i dont want to carry two phones i have just chosen personal.
What is this talk of dual sim phones, in this day and age why cant we have virtual sims set up for phones? wouldnt that be easier. i find it hard to believe that we have not advanced past sim cards since the launch of these in 1987.
with virtual sims we could set up several on one phone and use them as user acconts a bit like a mail service program, what would be even better is if you can set rules about integration of each account to the users desire, i.e. timed operation, how once account appears so you could have one that stands out more etc.
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poochilau1 Reply:
September 24th, 2009 at 4:53 am
It’s a lot easier to use sim cards if you want to switch out phones. It helps to cut out the middle man(your carrier).
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September 24th, 2009 at 10:30 am
I won’t be surprised to see many user carry more than 1 phone. In the dog eat dog, man eat man competition for phone carrier (such as indonesia), it’s a surprised to see one without many phone (or sim card / ph#). Even a worker with US$100/month salary have more than 2 ph# (not necessarily 2 phone device).
I believe the trend of cheap on-net, expensive off-net won’t be gone in a year or two. In fact the trend is spreading to some bigger scheme. There were a couple carrier that part of big company start to make on-net across country. Such as Axis in Indonesia can send SMS / make a phone call cheap to user of Malaysian Axis (Maxis).
So, phone maker should expect more and more user opt for dual sim phone.
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October 8th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
I carry two phones with me. One is my personal mobile with a number I’ve always had, and the other which is a business phone with a number I inherited from my predecessor.
All the dual sim options I’ve seen so far mean that you can only use one sim card at a time. What I’d like to have is a phone that takes two sim cards and can wait for calls from either. If one number receives a call, that disables the other sim until the call has ended. The phone would also be able to tell me which number the incoming call is to so I can answer in an appropriately business like manner or not as the case may be.
This would also solve the problem my colleague currently has because he could give one number to sales people and another to everyone else.
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November 12th, 2009 at 11:01 am
WHAT A TIME YOU LAUNCHED DUAL SIM CARD FONE IN INDIA ?????????????/
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November 18th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
hi all,
I am in the UK and a dual sim is almost becoming a must as the amount of people having a work / busness phone and a personel phone. Currently a lot of people are importing them from teh far east, so there is a markert out there
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