Best dual-SIM phones

Two different numbers on the same phone. ANYRON COPEMAN reports

- ANYRON COPEMAN

If you want two different phone numbers, getting two different phones is the most logical option. But that can be very expensive, and still means you have to carry around two devices almost everywhere.

Luckily, there's a much easier solution: dual-SIM phones. As the name suggests, they allow you to have two SIM cards (and consequently, phone numbers) on the same device. Paired with a couple of great SIM-only deals, it takes the hassle out of having two different phone numbers.

However, not all dual-SIM phones are created equal. Some, such as Samsung Galaxy phones or Apple's iPhone in most countries, combine one physical SIM slot with support for eSIM. Typically, the As useful as eSIM is, especially while travelling abroad, sometimes you can't beat the convenience of moving physical SIMs between devices in seconds. In this article, we're only including handsets with slots for two physical SIM cards, meaning they're all Android phones. In some cases, you'll have to choose between a second SIM card or microSD expansion, though, so make sure you choose a model with plenty of storage if this is important to you.

BUYING ADVICE

How do dual-SIM phones work?

Something we've noticed when shopping for dual-SIM phones is that the manufacturer very rarely provides any information about the functionality other than the fact it exists. It doesn't tell you how the dual-SIM functionality works in practice, nor whether both SIMs support 4G/5G, or even what size SIM cards they accept.

You can never assume; you'll need to contact the manufacturer or check spec tables, reviews, or forums to find out this information.