When it comes to new smartphones, consumers typically turn to a handful of specs, including screen size, resolution and how good the camera is. To some, these features are all that is important. However, to others, a Dual SIM helps make life that much easier.
A dual SIM design essentially gives a smartphone two independent numbers. There are different reasons for this. First, someone may want a business and a personal line without carrying around two different phones. Those who travel internationally will find a dual SIM is helpful as well. It makes it possible to switch to an international SIM card so they are not charged outlandish rates from their home carrier.
Types of Dual Sim phones
| Dual Standby | With Dual Standby, both phones are on standby at the same time. You can get a call on either of the two SIMs, but while you are talking on one SIM the other SIM will be inactive and calls to that one will fail. |
| Dual Active | Dual Active phones employ 2 modems (which will cost you more), so you can receive a call on both SIMs at once, so you can place one on hold while speaking to the other person. This feature is still very rare on phones, all the models you see below are Dual Standby. |
SIM card management
Android has a menu to let you manage your SIMs. Here you can set which SIM should be used for voice, data, video calls, etc. This setting can be accessed under Settings, Wireless and Network Settings, Dual SIM Settings.
Recommended App
Our recommendation is to use an app called SIM Card Manager, found on the app store. The app is tiny (only 57Kb) and can display your SIM card settings, as well as help you to manage lists of contacts under different SIMs.
Best Cheap Chinese Dual Sim Phones
Here are some of the best quality, cheap Chinese phones with a dual SIM feature.
A Word of Warning
…as far as Chinese companies are concerned: How diligent are they at firmware updates? Some companies will happily leave you without any updates, so the OS you get when purchasing is what stays on your phone for life. Google the model you want to buy plus “firmware update” to see if your phone can be updated.
OnePlus 3
Not only is this one of the most affordable Chinese phones on the market, but it is one of the best phones on the market. It is tough to beat the price and the great design features. It feels like a high-end piece of machinery. It runs Google Android (it is always important to check this before buying a Chinese phone as some runs an OS that looks like Android, but is not compatible). It does have the dual SIM feature, but on top of it the phone, which is made out of metal, is packed with 6GB of RAM, a fingerprint scanner, a Snapdragon 820 and a 16 MP camera. Overall, it is difficult to find any other phone that is better than this.
Beyond the internal specs, the OnePlus 3 phone uses a 5.5 inch full HD Optic AMOLED display in addition to fast charging. Basically if you find the features on other high-end smartphones, there is a good chance you’ll find it here as well.
ZTE AXON 7
If you like the feel of ah HTC smartphone but want something that costs less, this is the phone to go with. Now, it doesn’t feature as many of the high-end specs as the OnePlue 3, but the price tag is almost always lower as well. With this phone, you’ll nab a similar 5.5 inch AMOLED display, although the RAM does drop to 4 instead of 6. You’ll received 64GB of internal storage as well. The Gold edition of the phone comes with the dual SIM design, so make sure to look out for that. It does have the same Snapdragon 820 processor as well. Now, if you want a phone that offers more of a musical punch, this phone has an excellent front facing speaker that runs the width of the phone.
Xiaomi MI 5
This is another phone that is designed and built to feel great in your hand. It has the same metal and glass look as the new Google phone, but it costs a fraction of the price. In fact, the cheaper of the two variations will go for well under $300, which is great for the powerful smartphone. There are two different versions of this dual SIM phone, although the only real difference is the internal storage capacity. The cheaper one offers 32GB of storage while the more expensive one features 64GB worth of storage. The price difference is usually about $40, which isn’t bad at all to double your available storage amount. It doesn’t have a removable back so you can’t add any microSD cards for added storage (keep that in mind if you like to snap pics).
This phone is a bit smaller than the other two at 5.15 inches. It is a full HD display and it uses the same Snapdrago 820 processor. RAM is a bit lower at 3GB and you can pick the Mi 5 model up in either black, white or gold.
Meizu PRO 6
This phone looks almost like the spitting image of an Apple iPhone, only the home button is more rectangular. It comes with a nice sized 5.2 inch fullHD Super AMOLED screen. If you want a comfortable sized smartphone that doesn’t have a super-sized screen, this is a great fit. It also has 4GB of RAM inside of the metal and glass constructed phone. It uses a different processor though in the form of the Heilo X25 64-bit deca-core processor. If you are looking at a phone with more internal storage, the Meizu Pro 6 does have two different storage options of 32 and 64GB worth of internal storage. Like many of the other phones on the list it has a solid construction, which means you can’t open up the rear and swap out the battery or insert a microSD card. The dual SIM construction is available through the side of the phone.
Huawei Honor 8
This is really a great looking phone. Not only does it have the desired dual SIM feature, but it comes with a rear facing dual camera system as well. This way, you can switch from a fisheye style lens and a closer up lens. The laser guided auto focus makes it perfect for when you want to snap pictures. It also has either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage memory, so you have the kind of space needed to save those added pictures. In addition, it comes with a microSD card slot, which is an excellent perk when the internal storage begins to run out.
It does use a Kirin 950 64-bit octa-core processor and comes standard with 4GB worth of RAM. Nicely, it features a fingerprint scanner on the back of the phone, similar to that of the LG V20 and the Google Pixel phone. The fingerprint scanner on the rear of the device makes it easier to unlock as it only requires one hand to do so instead of two. You can also program the custom function back button on the rear to swap between SIM cards, so if you need to make a change with what number you are calling from, you can do so without going into the settings on the phone. The phone itself is 5.2 inches in size.
Lenovo ZUK Z2 Pro
This is one of the best looking phones when it comes to inexpensive Chinese options. It has a white, glossy finish, but the aluminum border is a sharp gold. It makes it look far more expensive than it really is. The phone is dual SIM, so you don’t need to worry about that. However, as the phone is a solid device there is no option for adding a microSD card slot. You’ll need to be good with the 64GB worth of internal storage on the phone. The 5 inch screen is a standard 1080 HD phone that uses the Snapdragon 820 processor along with 4GB worth of RAM.
As for the camera, the rear facing camera is positioned in the middle of the device, similar to that of other HTC models. Under it is the capture button. One thing of note with the ZUK lineup of phones, the device itself is backed by Lenovo (which was formerly owned by IBM). Lenovo may be best known for putting out laptops and tablets, but it does back some smartphones, including the Z2. This way, if you are unsure about what Chinese brands are, you’ll at least have some name recognition with this one.
These are just a handful of the best, inexpensive Chinese smartphones with dual SIM capabilities. Each one is a quality device right up there with some of the best smartphones on the market.
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