Why you should buy a dual-SIM smartphone

The Motorola Moto G supports two SIM cards.

Motorola's Moto G is not just a great dual-SIM smartphone; it's one of our favourite smartphones. And with the announcement of the first Windows dual-SIM Phone, the Nokia Lumia 630, Good Gear Guide has compiled 5 reasons why the often overlooked perk could save you dollars.

1. The benefits of two plans

Different plans offer different benefits. Having a smartphone that supports two SIM cards will allow you to milk the value of both plans, while keeping your minimum monthly spend low. One SIM card could have a great plan for data, while the other could be great value for voice calls.

2. Who wants to carry both a personal and business phone?

The novelty of carrying two phones quickly wears thin. Having a dual-SIM smartphone allows you to carry one phone that can accommodate your personal and your business needs.

This also means you can distinctly split the phone bills; useful if you're required to log all work-related calls as it saves you from weeding through your phone bills.

3. The Stinson

We don’t encourage The Stinson*. In fact, we actively discourage The Stinson. But we wouldn’t be doing our job if The Stinson didn’t make the list.

Dual-SIM smartphones can carry two SIM cards, which means one mobile can receive calls from two different numbers. People who don’t want certain phone numbers showing up on one bill can use the other SIM card to make phone calls.

*We have named the third reason The Stinson after the promiscuous Barney Stinson from the TV show How I Met Your Mother.

4. Global roaming

Going overseas? A dual-SIM smartphone is an easy way to keep receiving messages from people at home. Purchase a local SIM and pop it in the second tray to avoid nasty international roaming charges when you call people in the country you’re visiting.

5. In case of emergency

Vodafone, Telstra and Optus cover most of the Australian population with reception, but you will still come across gaps in their coverage. Having the SIM cards of two networks is like having a safety net; if one SIM card isn’t picking up a signal, there’s a chance the other one could.