Two SIMs on the same phone? Yes, indeed.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)We promised it to you last month, and here is CNET's first review of a dual SIM card cell phone. We know the Duet D888 from Beyond E-Tech is not the first dual SIM phone ever, but it is the first one we've reviewed. Even better, it is the first dual SIM card phone widely available in the United States. You can get it for $199 from National Geographic and Cellular Abroad.
With the D888, you can make calls and send texts from two numbers on the same handset. Outside of a few usability quirks, the arrangement works quite well. Believe us when we say that Duet is a pretty average phone otherwise. Call quality is decent, but the D888 feels a little cheap in the hand and it doesn't offer any outstanding features. Yet even with those caveats, the two SIM card slots are enough to warrant a look.
Get the full scoop in our Duet D888 review.
The Duet D888 takes two SIM cards.
(Credit: Beyond E-Tech)Though dual SIM card cell phones have been around for a while, I've only seen them while traveling abroad and at trade show booths. The premise is simple and very attractive: with slots for two SIM cards, a single phone can have two phone numbers. You can receive and make calls on both lines and the SIM cards can even be from separate carriers.
It's a great option for anyone who wants to combine their work and personal phone and it's perfect for frequent international travelers who want a local number while retaining their U.S. number.
With such advantages, it's no surprise that a lot of CNET readers have asked how they can get such a phone. But outside of a handful of unlocked models, and a few crude adapters for regular handsets, dual SIM card phones remain relatively scarce in the United States. No U.S. carrier sells them and you can bet that no carrier would give up that kind of control.
But leave it to National Geographic to come up with another option. The organization has partnered with Cellular Abroad to offer the Duet D888. Made by Beyond E-Tech, the unlocked Duet accommodates two SIM cards: one for the Cellular Abroad intentional SIM card and one for another card of your choice. You could use your own SIM card for a GSM carrier like AT&T or T-Mobile or you could buy a prepaid card during your travels.
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This seems odd at first, but I think I get where National Geographic is coming from.
(Credit:
Cellular Abroad)
For decades National Geographic has been delivering fantastic photography (and more recently, TV footage) that has moved people to jump on planes and travel to the farthest corners of the globe where our cell phones promptly refuse to cooperate. Now it seems like they're trying to make up for that.
The educational and scientific society announced Wednesday that it is partnering with Cellular Abroad to make the National Geographic Talk Abroad Travel Phone, a bar-style GSM phone that operates in more than 100 countries. The actual hardware isn't the cool part--it's the plan, or lack thereof, that's the best feature.
There's no contract to sign and minutes can be added whenever you want. Incoming calls in most countries are totally free, but expect to pay 90 cents per outgoing minute. The phone can be purchased for $199 or rented for $49 a week. It comes pre-loaded with 30 minutes of free talk time. Alternatively, a SIM card is available for $79 (the card also comes with 30 minutes free).
So, if you can stand to wait a few extra weeks before jetting off on that Malawian safari, you can bring this phone with you. It's available starting in March.
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