Help required with Dual Sim Phone

[#1]

I have a Samsung dual sim unlocked phone after yesterdays outage problems I am thinking of purchasing a PAYG sim on another network as a backup and where there is no PlusNet/EE coverage I will go for another provider Three I think.

My quires are do the separate sims work totally independently with their own phone setting ?

Does anyone else use a dual sim phone if so have they had any problems ?

Thanks Brian A

[#2]

Is it a properly functioning dual sim phone? I bought a S8 believing it would take 2 sims, but the UK version doesn't support it. Instead of a 2 sim carrier on the UK phone, you get a sim and micro sd carrier. Buying a dual sim carrier apparently doesn't make it work due to the set up, would be good if it did so I could use my Three sim as well.

Mark

[#3]

Thanks Marksfish 

Mine is an import from the far east because it has Ramadan on the S Planner purchased from EBay

There are two slots for two separate sims and in settings there is a SIM card manager where you can select Preferred SIM card

It gives the network and phone number when a sim is inserted  

Brian A

[#4 · Accepted solution]

I have a Galaxy S9 dual with Plusnet & O2 SIMs.

You can send/rcv texts on both SIMs and you get to choose which one is used for data at any time.

[#5]

Thank you alan659882  sounds very much like the one I have .

I was worried that the sims would have to be from the same provider.

It will only for emergency use when I'm in a poor reception PlusNet area or when the system is down as on Friday.

I will give it a try and purchase a PAYG sim where the allowance lasts as long as it is used every 180 days I have been told that Three is a good choice and the reception is getting better from what it was 

Brian A

[#6]

Pretty much what I do.

Don't forget to switch the 'spare' SIM on every 3 months or so and send a text or make a call to avoid getting it cancelled.

[#7]

OH - another thing, I used to have a '3' SIM as my spare but whenever my plusnet signal was missing, so was the '3' signal.

Someone posted (maybe here) that EE & '3' share a lot of masts, so you're better off with O2 for the spareand it certainly seems better to me. 

I got an O2 PAYG SIM that doesn't expire for £10 i.e. with £10 of credit on it to start with.

[#8]

The company I used to work for before I retired used to use their own PMR radios with Orange phones as a back up then changed to O2 and in my location the reception was poor it may have improved as I've been retired for nearly ten years

Will give it a try as Tesco use O2

Brian A 

[#9]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I will give it a try and purchase a PAYG sim where the allowance lasts as long as it is used every 180 days I have been told that Three is a good choice and the reception is getting better from what it was 

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Three credit doesn't expire and you don't have to make a call every x amount of days. I've had credit on mine for over a year now since roaming became part of my contract.

[#10]

Hi Marksfish 

I been reading Threes terms and conditions and found this

• You must use your SIM to make a chargeable event (such as a phone call, sending a text or getting online) at least once every 6 months to avoid it being disconnected for non-use. 
• Where a Top-up is bought in-store and a 16-digit code provided, the Top-up needs to be activated within 90 days of buying it. Once activated, Top-ups have no expiry date, unless there is no activity at all on an account for 180 days as Three reserves the right to terminate or suspend unused accounts. 

So to sure I will do a call every 3/4 months

Brian A

[#11]

Hmmm, maybe I have an old sim under old t&c's as they guaranteed that your PAYG credit will not expire, and mine hasn't. That is so long as you don't buy a pack, which is only valid for 30 days.

[#12]

From my account

[#13]

Hi Marksfish,

Bought a Three PAYG sim all set up OK and the G4 reception is better than on PlusNet will go and have a walk on Cannock Chase to check there

Also I was told in the Three shop that if ever needed a replacement sim they could supply one not wait for one to arrive in the post.

I wonder how many people were sent replacement sims after Fridays problems when no one at PlusNet knew what was going on

You are correct my balance also shows as a " wont expire " on My3

Brian A

[#14]

The Three web site https://www.three.co.uk/Store/SIM/Pay_As_You_Go does say that credit won't expire BUT it does also say that you need to use the phone at least every 6 months to keep the account active. That's fairly typical, most CP's will deactivate the account if the phone isn't used in 6 months, not sure what would happen to any credit on the account in that case, and how that complies with 'doesn't expire'!!!