two line cell phone?

[4HiMarks]

My personal cell is with AT&T. My work cell is with Nextel. Both are really old. Changing companies on either one is not an option, but I am looking into updating the hardware on my personal account. Is there any cell phone out there (an iPhone perhaps, even?) that can work on both networks at once? Pehaps with dual SIM cards or some such?

[Greg Alsobrook]

There is no such device out there to my knowledge that will do what you're looking for. You're even less likely to find something for your situation since AT&T and Sprint/Nextel use two different cell technologies (AT&T using GSM and Sprint using CDMA).

[Chop69]

Dual SIM cell phones do exist, but the problem is AT&T and Nextel are different network technologies. There were some iDen(Nextel) and GSM(AT&T) dual band phones, but as far as I can tell, they were just Nextel phones that could roam on GSM, not Dual SIM solutions.

[4HiMarks]

Ah, well. I thought that might be the answer, but I had to ask.

When are companies going to learn to standardize formats? Beta/VHS, DVD+/-R, HD-DVD/BluRay, PC/Mac/Linux. Hell, even System V/BSD in Unices. Everyone thinks their way is the only way (or best way) and everyone else is full of it.

Come to think of it, religion is the same way. Why can't we all get along?

[Grentz]

I know there are global phones on Verizon that are CDMA and GSM, but it usually is one or the other...not both at once.

I know some phones can also have multiple lines...but I dontk now of any carriers in the US that support it. (My blackjack for example can have like 4 lines)

[Nick]

A two-line (dual SIM) cell phone is certainly possible, but if one exists, the dual-line feature would likely be available only from the same carrier. I can foresee that such a two-line cell-phone would be popular with those who find it necessary to carry two phones, such as for personal use and business purposes.

[HDJulie]

My husband forwards his work phone to his personal phone. He only needs the work phone one week a month when he is on call so it doesn't really affect our minutes. I don't know that it would be feasible for you unless you have unlimited minutes on your personl phone.

[Stewart Vernon]

Probably depends on how you mean "dual line"...

You could probably make-shift a pseudo dual line by forwarding calls from a 2nd number to your cellphone, and then having a cell plan that includes call-waiting and 3-way calling.

It wouldn't exactly be dual line... but it would sort of be capable of doing it.

[Shades228]

Last I saw Nextel was the only company that ever offered 2 phone numbers on 1 cell phone.

[Christopher Gould]

yes my nextel i580 can have two nextel numbers

[Steve Mehs]

Ah, well. I thought that might be the answer, but I had to ask.

When are companies going to learn to standardize formats? Beta/VHS, DVD+/-R, HD-DVD/BluRay, PC/Mac/Linux. Hell, even System V/BSD in Unices. Everyone thinks their way is the only way (or best way) and everyone else is full of it.

Come to think of it, religion is the same way. Why can't we all get along?

When it comes to this, there should be no standardization.

The iDen Network is ideal for what Nextel offers. iDen was specifically designed by Motorola for true half duplex two way truncated communications. All the Nextel imitators basically use data not voice for their Direct Connect rip off services. Regular cellular service with Nextel was just an added bonus. And likewise, iDen is not suitable for data. Ever try to surf the net on a Nextel phone? AT&T and Nextel using two different networks is a very good thing.

In my experience, every day at work, CDMA sucks big time when it comes to push to talk. And personally as far as voice quality is concerned, I think CDMA sucks too. I have my personal phone with Nextel, the iPhone on AT&T and a work phone from Verizon now (used to be Nextel as well), to me people sound more natural on GSM, iDen isn't too bad either, but CDMA forget it. with Verizon no one sounds like themselves, if it wasn't for caller ID, I couldn't tell who was calling me by their voice even though I've been talking to the same people every work day for the past 5 years, it may be due to more compression I don't know, but I also noticed the same thing when I had a Sprint/Nextel hybrid phone for a week 2 years ago that I sent back.

I also find it a little behind the times how CDMA providers don't use SIM cards. I've had Nextel service for 7 years now, had 5 or 6 different phones, and never once had to re-enter my contacts, hell I never even called up to activate a phone, ever since I first got my old i90. AFAIK, in the Sprint database, it still shows that phone on the account.

And to reiterate, Nextel has offered two lines on the same phone for just about forever now.

Oddly enough, just today, me and a buddy of mine swapped SIM cards, my Nextel SIM went into his jailbroken/unlocaked iPhone 3G, we knew it wouldn't work, but just wanted to see what would happen. In the Settings Menu a new option appeared called 'Carriers', but you could only select from AT&T or T-Mobile, once he put is own SIM card back in that menu was gone.

[PokerJoker]

Well, GSM sucks big time also.

Specifically, the incredibly poorly thought out RFI-generating system design that results in that $%$&^ buzzing noise blasting out of almost any audio device anywhere near a GSM phone. That's not a "phone problem", it's inherent in the way GSM works.

Yes, I know that GSM in the "world standard". It was invented by chauvinistic Europeans who had two main criteria - that the system not be American technology, and that they would not have to pay royalties to Qualcomm.

Sorry but CDMA is a better system IMO.

[Steve Mehs]

Like I've said, I've been using Nextel for years and same thing happens with iDen I don't really find it a big deal. I find it cool as I hear the ticking and squelching a second or two before the phone actually rings when I have it near a speaker. I'd rather have a few ticks now and then, than the horrid voice quality of CMDA. Plus with every CDMA handset I've used max volume was way too low. I'm surprised that early on (10 years ago) when Verizon was being born with various mergers and acquisitions they didn't migrate to GSM, since Vodafone owns a pretty good chunk of VZW.

[Shades228]

Like I've said, I've been using Nextel for years and same thing happens with iDen I don't really find it a big deal. I find it cool as I hear the ticking and squelching a second or two before the phone actually rings when I have it near a speaker. I'd rather have a few ticks now and then, than the horrid voice quality of CMDA. Plus with every CDMA handset I've used max volume was way too low. I'm surprised that early on (10 years ago) when Verizon was being born with various mergers and acquisitions they didn't migrate to GSM, since Vodafone owns a pretty good chunk of VZW.

Volume issues are phone dependent and have nothing to do with gsm vs cdma. I've had phones where it could make you deaf and I've had phones where even on high you had to leave a room to hear people.

As far as sim cards I can take them or leave them. I never have issues backing up contacts, however with that said I only use pda phones, so there are many programs available to back up a system easily. Even microsoft has an online backup program now.

The real thing that kills our cell phones is that our carriers are morons and make stupid demands of phone manufacturers. If they would just use other phones that the carriers make we would be a lot happier with the service. Then again our data networks would become even more clogged with some of the phones that are out there now in other countries.