GLOBAL – The first thing I wondered after slipping my two SIM cards into the Nokia X1-01 Dual SIM phone was: Can I call myself from one SIM to the other?

My colleague Adam set me straight: “Why would you want to do that?  Of course you can’t.”

It turns out when one SIM card is being used for a call, the other one is inaccessible.

It was a dumb idea, I admit, but this phone has so many other uses that I want one as my back-up.

It even has a flashlight. I am also impressed by this neat-looking handset’s amazing sound quality. It pumps out a tune better than my old transistor radio.

In fact, I wish my new Nokia N9 had an extra SIM slot. Dual-SIM has so many advantages. In these tough economic times, the phone is a real money-saver.

Calling numbers on rival networks can be expensive (10 cents per min average), whereas phoning same network numbers can be as little as 1/2 cent per minute average.

 

People moan a little that these phones are sold mainly in developing countries, but that is where demand is biggest and where customers need them most.

But people the world over could find a use for this type of phone. Especially international travellers who don’t want to pay out for expensive roaming charges.

It’s so easy to pop in an international card next to your home SIM, as anyone who commutes frequently between Africa and Europe will know.

Also battery life is huge, so for short foreign trips, you don’t have to worry if you forget your charger.

Like you are ever going to be far away from a Nokia charger, anyway as well as the 101, the the C2 is pretty popular. And at an average price of $30, why wouldn’t you want one? Which one would you have, and why?
Nokia 101
Nokia C1
Nokia C2
Nokia C2-03
Nokia X1-01