Buddha babble on Real Life Fiction

 

 

 

 

(Before you read any further, this article is a user review from a layman user perspective; so there are no technical specification references or techie name/term dropping. You may google many other sites for tech specs. Thanks to GSM Arena for some of the pix.)

In today’s times when having two mobile phones is insanely affordable (more so for sim cards as they go cheaper by the month), the Samsung D880 Duos caters to satisfy that part of the market that keeps their professional and personal sim lives distinctly separate but without the clunky extra burden or cost of buying another phone for that other sim, (unless of course for other nefarious illicit matters).

 

 

The Samsung D880 is a dual active standby sim phone- which DOES NOT mean you can make two calls at the same time but it MEANS you can be reached through the other sim even if you are using the first sim. While two sims are active simultaneously, only one sim you may enable as your primary where you can readily make calls and send text.

 

 

It is a novel idea whose time has come because for those who can’t afford two phones and make do with one, the user does not have to keep switching sims which actually takes a lot of effort and brings more wear and tear to your precious phone.

To conveniently switch from one active sim to another, you need but press the dedicated sim switch button on the left side of the phone. It will switch conveniently allowing you to text easily without any hassle. When you need to make a phone call using your other sim, you need to press the sim switch button and the phone enables the other sim. However, your phone will need to reboot. When switching for texting purposes, there is no need to reboot. All one needs to do is when about to send your message, press the side button to switch sims. Just remember to keep track which sim you are using (or just label them from the start).

The Samsung Duos is a cool mobile for many reasons apart from the dual sim standby feature.

 

 

Samsung phones have always been known for their classy form design. Glossy front finish and easy grip back make its form factor simple and superbly classy. The slide feature is smooth and snappy at the close. It’s not as slim as most Samsung mobiles are like the D900i or the U700 but even with its slightly heftier bulk (by Samsung standards), the Duos looks too cool to ignore.

The interface is convenient to use and familiar especially to Nokia users. While there are some differences in button functions, there is no wide adjustment to a radical interface change. The volume and sim switch are on the left side and a camera shutter on the right side.

 

 

Sometimes, there is limited coverage ability for the secondary sim (especially if it’s a sun cellular sim) when both sims are inserted. However, that usually occurs in area wide dead spots (read: Sun cellular signal sucks) so no Duos fault there.

The camera is no joy especially after you’ve used a 5 MP with Xenon flash N82 (there’s just no going back). However, under the right lighting conditions, the 3.2 MP camera will suffice even if it is a little shaky and the pictures shot are not in real time.

 

 

The mp3 player is decent enough for your pop tunes, although it does not recognize wav or aac files. The speakers are not perfect but loud enough for easy listening. The phone comes with a built in radio which comes in pretty handy in tight fixes or when wanting to get in touch with the world.

Memory capacity isn’t really comparable to the N82 where you can store 800 SMS and not sweat it. With the D880, only 200 messages are allowed in the compartmentalized memory. Texting can be a little slow especially when the memory box starts filling up. It also has the same “send to many” SMS function. It’s certainly no kick ass S 60 like the N Series, but it’ll do.

 

 

Switching from one function to another also tends to be a little slow at times but tolerable in its sluggishness. But it sure is a cool window feature.

Unlike many smart phones now where the mobile automatically configures the GPRS and MMS settings to the network provider of the sim being used, the Samsung only configures SMS and other basic functions. It’s not a 3G mobile and the browser is an add-on to gush about, but for the simple-lived and simple-minded, the Samsung Duos is a Spartan alternative.

 

 

While the Samsung D880 duos will not be winning any MVP awards any time soon, it does function pretty well in its primary performance category, as a dual active sim phone.

One device, dual functionality, the Samsung D880 Duos is a simple solution for a simple lifestyle.