Separate business and pleasure with a dual-SIM phone. We round up the best smartphones that accept two SIMs
ByMarie Black, Editor In Chief
After 2020"s disappointing Galaxy S20 Ultra, Samsung has finally earned the name with a follow-up that delivers almost everything you could want from an app android flagship - admittedly at a price that only a few can afford, and in a form factor that will simply be too big for some.
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The camera is now probably the best in any phone, with a 108Mp main shooter backed up by an ultrawide và two telephoto lenses at different zoom levels.
The expansive 6.8in display delivers both high WQHD+ resolution và adaptive refresh rate up lớn 120Hz, & with new S-pen stylus support it comfortably fills the productivity niche of theGalaxy lưu ý 20 Ultratoo.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra review
The smarphone oppo Find X3 Pro is a phenomenal phone by any measure. The 6.7in 10-bit 120Hz QHD+ panel is one of the best displays in any phone right now & Oppo backs it up with 65W wired & 30W wireless charging, a 4500mAh battery, and a top-tier camera that boasts 50Mp sensors on both the main & ultrawide lenses.
You’ll have khổng lồ live without a periscopic zoom lens - the telephoto here is a measly 2x zoom - but oppo instead includes a novel microlens camera capable of microscopic super-closeups. That"s not the only oddity, as the kiến thiết itself is utterly quality thanks khổng lồ a seamlessly sloped camera module built right into the glass of the phone"s body.
For pure performance the Find X3 Pro is also hard to lớn beat, with all of the above plus a Snapdragon 888 chip, 512GB storage and 12GB RAM. You just have khổng lồ be willing khổng lồ pay the price, as it doesn"t come cheap.
Read our full smarphone oppo Find X3 Pro review
On the surface, Samsung has brought better specs - including 5G as standard and the latest Snapdragon 888/Exynos 2100 chip - to lớn the table for less than the asking price of the 4G-only build of the Galaxy S20.
In actuality, it"s prioritised those upgrades to lớn ensure the S21 appears as relevant & current as possible, without going out of its way khổng lồ really phối the bar for forthcoming 2021 rivals.
The Galaxy S line"s unofficial position as the "default alternative" to those who don"t want an iPhone isn"t likely to change with everything the Galaxy S21 has to offer, và for most users, this is still as much of a well-rounded, capable và reliable device as the S20, S10 and beyond have been.
If you"re looking for Samsung to push the flagship phone envelope, however, the Galaxy S21 isn"t the phone to vì chưng it.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy S21 review
An outstanding follow-up to 2020"s best mid-range phone, with great performance, 5G, OnePlus"s signature Oxygen OS user experience, & a near-flagship main camera. What"s not lớn love?
What the OnePlus Nord 2 really demonstrates is the company"s ability to lớn prioritise the features that users are looking for right now và wrapping them up in an attractive package with a compelling price point.
The Nord 2 misses out on flagship niceties like wireless charging & waterproofing, but those are really the only compromises made here.
Read our full OnePlus Nord 2 review
The OnePlus 8 Pro is arguably the company"s first full flagship, finally incorporating long-requested features like wireless charging và an IP68 waterproof rating lớn make it a genuine contender with Samsung"s đứng top flagships.
Understandably, the price initially went up accordingly, but it still represents serious value by flagship standards, và you will save at least some money by opting for OnePlus over most other manufacturers. (Since the release of its successor, its price has thankfully dropped).
The 8 Pro camera is OnePlus" best yet, & while it still lags behind rivals slightly in software the hardware is among the best around, which has helped khổng lồ close the gap considerably. Throw in 5G, a great design, and the best game android skin around và the OnePlus 8 Pro is easy to lớn recommend to lớn anyone who can afford it.
The OnePlus 9 và 9 Pro might now be in our midst too, but they left us feeling cold to the point that we"d still suggest pointing your wallet/purse towards an 8 Pro or 8T, for the time being.
Read our full OnePlus 8 Pro review
The ZTE Axon 30 Ultra is a stunning proposition & offers buckets of value. It’s a genuinely exciting flagship điện thoại thông minh in practically every department: it’s lightweight, feels great in the hand, the 144Hz 6.67in AMOLED display is detailed và crisp, the Snapdragon 888 allows it to perform like a gaming phone and, well, that camera thiết đặt is incredible.
Comprised of three 64Mp snappers and a 5x telescope lens, the Axon 30 Ultra’s rear camera offering is versatile, & unlike some, images captured across all sensors are comparable in terms of quality, detail and colour balance.
There are plenty of creative shooting modes available khổng lồ make the most of the system, and it caters to videographers with
The results are comparable to those taken on ultra-premium smartphones like the Galaxy S21 Ultra và iPhone 12 Pro, but with one key difference – it’s hundreds of pounds/dollars cheaper.
The software could vì with a visual tweak here & there and there"s no wireless charging, but those are minor complaints in what is an otherwise phenomenal 2021 flagship.
Read our full ZTE Axon 30 Ultra review
The Poco X3 Pro is a phone designed for game android gamers or power nguồn users on a budget, though it might also appeal to those who want to go big on specs in order lớn futureproof their phone.
If pure performance isn’t your priority, then you can find phones that are slimmer và lighter, with better camera performance, for around the same price.
What you won’t find is any phone that can match this pound for pound right now. This is near-flagship processing power nguồn in one of the cheapest phones on the market, and it’s almost ludicrous that xiaomi mi has pulled it off.
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Read our full xiaomi Poco X3 Pro review
The Redmi lưu ý 10 Pro is essentially an upgraded Poco X3 NFC with a nicer display và better camera.
The 6.67in 120Hz panel boasts AMOLED tech, meaning superb contrast and vibrant colours. The 108Mp lead camera, meanwhile, excels and comes accompanied by a pair of secondary snappers that exceed expectation.
Fun extras lượt thích 33W fast charging, a headphone jack và even an IR blaster elevate the Redmi chú ý 10 Pro from good to lớn great budget offering, considering what Xiaomi"s incorporated here.
Read our full xiaomi mi Redmi note 10 Pro review
While the standard 4G-only ngươi 11 Lite is already an impressive feat of engineering, thanks to lớn its slim profile, the fact that this 5G equivalent isn"t really any thicker, larger or heavier, despite delivering even more power, is an impressive achievement in and of itself. It packs in more than just faster cellular connectivity, too, with a superior chipset and a few other extras that collectively render it a more powerful và competitive mid-range entry.
Mi 11 Lite 5G offers up a pleasingly well-rounded experience and heaps of performance for the price. However, it does occupy a crowded mid-range space, where devices are vying for interest based on standout features, without demanding flagship prices.
As such, if you"re looking for the thinnest phone worth buying right now, this is it. If that waistline isn"t one of the biggest driving forces behind your purchasing decision, though, there are a number of competitors for around the same money that will also fit the bill.
Read our full Xiaomi mày 11 Lite 5G review
Ignore the price & the OnePlus 8T doesn’t feel like a desperately exciting upgrade from the 8 in some respects. But once you realise the price has dropped the phone begins lớn look much more compelling.
120Hz và 65W charging are welcome upgrades, even if they’re the sort of techie features that most users likely won’t care about too much. The software changes brought about by game android 11 are also almost all welcome, not least the always-on display.
From a hardware perspective the camera is the only real stumbling block, made worse by the decision to lớn include the same main lens in the OnePlus Nord. Và that’s really the main challenge facing the 8T: it’s good, but pound-for-pound the Nord is still better, leaving OnePlus hoist by its own petard.
The OnePlus 9 & 9 Pro might now be in our midst too, but they left us feeling cold khổng lồ the point that we"d still suggest pointing your wallet/purse towards an 8 Pro or 8T, for the time being.
Read our full OnePlus 8T review
If the Xperia line proves anything, it"s that Sony enjoys walking its own path; something that"s perfectly reflected in the sheer amount of world firsts that the Xperia 1 III brings to lớn the table.
Existing Sony fans will have no trouble finding value in the 1 III"s quality feature phối (unless they own last year"s 1 II, as this feels lượt thích a more incremental upgrade in that regard). But, for everyone else, it"s a matter of weighing up whether those USPs trump the small missteps Sony has made with some of this phone"s fundamentals.
Not only vì rivals lượt thích Apple"s và Samsung"s top-tier alternatives come with better selfie cameras, brighter displays and longer-lasting batteries, but they offer greater peace of mind. The promise of long-term software tư vấn and tighter integration with their respective hàng hóa ecosystems is something Sony knows it can"t compete on and so doesn"t try lớn with the 1 III.
Read our full Sony Xperia 1 III review
Your buying guide khổng lồ the best dual-SIM phones in 2021
How bởi 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 it exists. It doesn"t tell you how the dual-SIM functionality works in practice, nor whether both SIMs tư vấn 4G/5G, or even what size SIM cards they accept.
You can never assume; you"ll need to tương tác the manufacturer or kiểm tra spec tables, reviews or forums khổng lồ find out this information.
In all the dual-SIM phones we"ve tested, both SIMs are on standby at all times (known as dual-standby phones), but you can actively use only one SIM at a time. This means that either SIM can accept a phone điện thoại tư vấn or text at any time, without you having to lớn actively swap between them or reboot the phone.
However, if you get a hotline on one number while a gọi is active on the other, it won"t start ringing in your ear or give you the option lớn put the first caller on hold - the hotline will simply not be successful.
What is the difference between Dual-Standby và Dual-Active?
Dual-active SIM phones use two modems and allow you to receive calls on both numbers at once.
If it"s you who wants to make a điện thoại tư vấn or send a text, app android has a standard SIM Management menu that lets you specify which SIM should be used for voice calls, đoạn clip calls, messages and mobile data. You can either specify a particular SIM for each of these tasks, or leave the setting as "Always Ask".
The data connection is where there seems khổng lồ be a lot of confusion when it comes to dual-SIM phones. Whereas both SIM slots on some dual-SIM phones are capable of supporting 4G or 5G connections, you can use data connectivity on only one SIM at a time.
Unlike with calls & texts, typically speaking the data connection can"t be on standby for both SIMs; you must specify which SIM you want khổng lồ use rather than select one when prompted - though some phones will let you set them to lớn switch to the other SIM when the first can"t make a connection.
By default, when you are using the data connection on one SIM and a phone call comes in lớn the other, it will pause the data connection on the first.
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Marie has been writing about tech for 15 years. Our resident xiaomi expert and a follower of all upcoming phones, she is also the go-to for charging tech.
