The market for dual SIM card enabled mobile phones may not be that big in America, but in Europe, Russia, India and certain parts of Asia, it’s practically a necessity for daily life. From having two numbers, each for a different set of friends, to saving money by using one operator at a certain time a day to call a certain person, and another operator for another person after say 21:00 at night, dual SIM devices are gaining in popularity and the top 3 handset makers (Nokia, Samsung, LG) are looking to capitalize on the demand before the Chinese come in with their off brand clones. Samsung today is introducing the E1252 and it offers the ability to have two SIM cards active at the same time while coming in at a rock bottom price of only $45. Compare that to Nokia’s C2, launched in June, which is over $60, and you’re left gasping for an explanation at how the South Koreans can undercut the Finns by so much in a market that has traditionally been all about volume and razor thin margins.
Back to the E1252, here’s the spec sheet: 2 inch 128 x 160 pixel resolution display, dimensions of 113 x 47 x 13.9 mm with a weight of 77 grams, FM radio, dual band GSM/EDGE (900/1800 MHz), and a 1000 mAh battery that’s rated at giving 11 hours of talk time and 26 days of standby time. Impressive if it’s true.
For now it’s slated to hit India and Russia, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it reached European shores, either through the grey market or through official channels. The amount of people these days who would want to be able to have two different mobile numbers is ever increasing and with the switch to the new microSIM form factor thanks to Apple, it’s going to be easier than ever to build a handset that can take 2 or even more SIM cards.
[Via: Unwired View]
[Apologies for the terrible quality image, it’s all I could find]