ViewSonic V350 dual Sim Android smartphone Every now and again, a brand new product comes along that seems to hark back to days of yore, to a time when things were different. One of those things would be the steam-powered PC, another is the ViewSonic V350 – a smartphone that can work on two networks simultaneously. ViewSonic V350 dual Sim Android smartphone Dual of …
Shame there aren't more dual sim phones, but doubtless from the mobile manufacturers point of view they're seen as a quick way to reduce sales rather than increase them.
We've got cameras in our phones so no longer [u]have[/u] to carry a separate camera just for quick snaps.
We've got MP3 players in our phones so no longer have to carry around an additional device, including charger and headphones, just to play music.
But most of us have jobs so we still have to carry a second phone, often with a different charger. Yes, there is a *standard* mobile charger connection however some manufacturers have decided to continue ignoring the rules. From a business point of view it makes a lot of sense - an employee would take better care of a personal phone compared to a business phone so just supply a SIM instead.
This is the product that I've been waiting for for ages... I am part of another community that would really benefit from a good dual-sim smartphone: I'm a Tech Support Manager for a software company, my work phone # is published to all and sundry, so I keep a personal number as well (so I can turn the work one off from time to time...).
This means I have to carry 2 handsets, maintain 2 sets of contacts, keep 2 phones charged etc (not to mention that the work handset is a BB so I have to know how to drive 2 different phones, have different peripherals, cables and chargers...).
What I want is essentially a dual-SIM Desire S; a great Android smartphone with 2 slots so I can choose which SIM to use. I've tried various 'dual SIM' plugin cards but they always want you to reboot the phone when switching...
Now the apparently perfect phone comes along and it's cheap, plasticky, slow and out dated! Gah!
Completely agree, I have a Nexus One for myself & a BlackBerry for work. I have a BB because of its fantastic battery life when I don't use it, I have my Nexus because it is a good phone and I use that all day.
This phone is too plastic, I would happily pay £50-100 more for a 1GHz processor, decent display and decent plastics.
I know the article wasn't being entirely serious when suggesting it, but dual sim isn't going to allow you to create two walled-off identities. The problem is that the IMEI is transmitted when you register with the GSM system and this is uniquely tied to the phone, not the SIM. So no good for drug dealers, extortionists, kidnappers, etc.
Not dual core! Atrix is not dual SIM.
The ZTE U960 on the other hand is, with a 1GHz processor, android 2.3 (wether it will get ICS is another matter), 2 Antennas so real dual sim dual active. 4.3" WVGA, 480 x 800, TFT-LCD/ Capacitive Touch Screen, 512MB RAM, 5MP rear, VGA front camera GPS, Bluetooth, FM radio etc.
Not that cheap as an import at ~320 quid but dual sim great when you work in a different country during the week, flying back to blighty at weekends........Just hope it works OK when it arrives next week......... on androidforums a poster states that market etc now all works.
There are some even better ones coming out soon, but you will have to wait about 6 months to get hold of one. Do a bit of searching and find them, good specs are cheap in China.....
I don't understand the complaint about plastics in phones. Personally, I want something that is light and flexible enough to give a little if I sit on it, rather than tearing a hole in my pants. As long as the plastic is resilient enough to spring back and the circuit board and screen are not compromised, some flexibility should be a good thing - on the other hand , brittle plastic that cracks, rather than flexes - not so good. Now , making a phone that is sandwiched between 2 sheets of glass, doesn't seem like the smartest move to me, but I guess most folk never drop their phone - so no big deal.
You can easily buy dual SIM adapters (e.g. http://www.simore.eu/en/Dual_SIM-205-Infinite.php) that allow you to cut down two normal SIMs and fit it onto a holder the size of the normal SIM. This can then be inserted into any phone that takes a normal SIM (i.e. won't work with iPhones that take the MicroSIM cards). They even have really convenient and genius ways to switch between the SIMs (i.e. without turning off the handset). Definitely is the best option as you can use pretty much any phone you like and you can take the dual SIM functionality with you when you upgrade phones too.
It just isn't the same. I have a Samsung Dual SIM phone, a GT B5722, runs Bada, I think.
It just works (overworked phrase I know). Single dedicated button to switch between which SIM does the outgoing calls, both are live for incoming, does about a week between charges.
It's an old model, but the replacements are quite nice, and reasonably priced.
Usually have to be imported, but do what I did, & keep checking CEX shops & website.
I use a "down-market" Mobile with TWO SIM with TWO numbers on one of them.
One has a single Hong Kong Mobile number, and the other SIM is for another service provider's local HK Mobile number *&* a PHILIPPINES mobile number as well.
This allows me to receive SMSes (only) from the Philippines at a cost of ONE Peso - an almost microscopically small amount compared with the rest of the world (i.e. about 1.4 UK Pence per SMS) and for that the SMSes have reached me in Australia, Russia & the Baltic.
All this from a "cheap as chips" Chinese "Malata" brand phone costing me HK$240 = about GBP20, and the previous one of a similar brand cost me little more than GBP12 - and I sold that at a profit after using it for about a year.
Okay, so it's not got a huge screen or Android on it - but I only use it for phone calls and the occasional outgoing SMS when on the move. "SendmAssage.com" is my totally FREE SMS sender from my computer. and NO, the URL is spelt correctly!
Hello,
Now that you mention dual-sims, I would definitely like to see a RegHardware review of this thing:
Allview P3 AllDro
It's also an Android dual-sim handset on the cheap side, but the specs look slightly better than what I've seen with ViewSonic. The AllView has Android 2.3.5, 4.1 capacitive screen, but I couldn't find much info on memory and processor (except the GPU).
Since you guys here know better, I would love to hear your opinion on this one as well.
It did come with 2.2, and a version of the Viewsonic launcher app that could be turned off. I did an OTA (over the air update) mid December and that put it up to 2.3.7 Gingerbread, but then the new Viewsonic launcher app was always running, and I could not go with the Android default. I though 2.2 was slow, but 2.3.7 was slower, until I rooted it and removed the Viewsonic launcher and all the other crap that was slowing it down, now it works great.
Under 2.2 the loudspeaker volume sucked, but 2.3.7 fixed that for the most part. Speakerphone is still hard to use while driving, as it is still too quiet.
Pros:
Dual active SIMs
OS is nice after updating from 2.2 Froyo to 2.3.7 Gingerbread and rooting to remove all the non-removable junk.
3.5 mm standard headphone jack.
Battery is OK for having 2 radios on at the same time.
I'm not nice to it, but the screen still doesn't have a mark on it.
Camera is OK.
USB charging
Deals with contacts nicely, lots of options.
Fast enough to run Angry Birds.
Cons:
USB/charging connection is behind a lame little cover, and is on the side. (this really is lame)
2.2 had a weird "Airplane mode" error that drained the battery quicker.
Not the fastest CPU, not even close, needs to be better.
No flash for the camera.
Only about 100mb free on the "phone" for adding apps that can't be moved to the SD. (most can be moved, but not all)
Under 2.2 sometimes after powering on or rebooting, Apps stored on the SD card didn't show up, or showed up with a broken icon. This error has gone away completely under 2.3.7.
Speakerphone is too quiet and the person on the receiving end hears background noise pretty badly. (normal non-speakerphone is fine).
Battery will last about 4 days if Wifi and Bluetooth is off and you don't make or receive any calls.
About a days worth of calls will drain the battery in a day. I charge it every day of two (usually every day)
I bought this phone so I didn't have to carry my personal and my (crappy) work phone around at the same time, and it does that job ok, I wanted a Dual SIM (active) Android phone, and that's what I got. I can tell you that it beats the crap out of my old dual SIM phone, an Acer DX-900 that ran Mobile Windows 5. There were other smaller Chinese manufacturers that made Android Dual SIM phones, but this was the only larger company maker I found at the time.
My wish list (no phone has all of these, this phone has only one of them): Dual active SIMs, dual-core 1ghz CPU, Android ICS ,sliding QWERTY keyboard, AMOLED 4" LCD at 1280×720, unblocked standard micro-USB port on the bottom, camera flash, a radio that works without needing the headphones plugged in, 512mb free on the phone for app storage, metal case, speakerphone that works in a moving car with the window down, SU/rooted/unlocked from factory, dedicated real camera button, forward facing camera for video chat. That's all.
How about for voice & 3g?
It would be nice to have Telstra's one-year 3g plan (designed for ipad) and a cheap voice+text sim.
Or get a "proper" mobile internet sim for 3g and a cheap voice+text sim. Phone-targeted data plans are too expensive. Internet targeted data plans have no voice.
OC the real advantage of a dual SIM handset today is to make them use bonded dual SIMs at the same time over a cheaper data plan if such a thing existed, then you could almost double your mobile internet speeds at an extra discounted dual+ cost.
given bonded data pipes being around since the steam-powered serial 1200 baud PC days its a shame we cant get them as a generic standard option today over the far faster digital network systems to tether your real wireless mobile PC kit to two or more 3G sim's at the same time
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