New Delhi, Jul 16: Dual SIM phones are a huge hit with Indians and now the category has moved with Dual SIM smartphones coming into the picture.
Dual SIM phones catapulted Indian brands into the mainstream of Indian handset market, and MNC brands were late in catching up.
But in case of Dual SIM smartphone, though Indian brands were the first to launch, MNC brands soon launched products knowing fully well that there is always a demand for dual SIM handsets in India in all the categories.
While the Dual SIM feature is still mostly in the entry level domain, there are few good options even in the middle level category. Here are best Dual SIM phones that you can buy in India currently.
HTC Desire V
Priced close to Rs 22,000, this is the best Dual SIM Android smartphone you can buy currently, since it has features to match the costliest Android phones. Based on Android v4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) OS, it comes with a 5 megapixel camera, however there is no front camera.
The phone has a 4-inch capacitive touchscreen with 480 x 800 pixels resolution and a 1 GHz Cortex-A5 processor. The best part is the phone features the latest HTC Sense user interface and also the famed Beats audio enhancements.
Motorola Defy Mini
If you want a rugged phone that can withstand the rigours of day to day use, the Motorola Defy is the phone for you. It is water and shock resistant which means that it won't be affected if you get wet this monsoon.
The phone is based on Android 2.3 Gingerbread and features a 3.2 inch screen with scratch resistant Corning Gorilla Glass, a 3 megapixel camera with flash along with a front facing VGA camera.
The phone features MotoSwitch 2.0 user interface from Motorola that prioritises menu items based on the frequency of usage apart from other enhancements. The phone runs on a 600 MHz processor coupled with 512 MB RAM and there is also a 1650 mAh battery which is claimed to offer up to 9 hours talk time and up to 11 days standby time. The phone is priced attractively at Rs 11,300.
Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos
There are two versions of this phone - one with GSM + GSM option and the other one with GSM + CDMA options. Priced at Rs 13,500, this is one of the popular Dual SIM Android phones currently.
The Galaxy Ace Duos runs Android v2.3 (Gingerbread) operating system with Samsung's TouchWiz user interface overlaid, powered by an 800 MHz processor. The phone has a 3.5 inch TFT screen that supports HVGA resolution of 320 x 480 pixels.
The Samsung Ace Duos comes fitted with a 3.15 megapixel camera (GSM version has a 5 megapixel camera), but there is no front facing camera though. This phone is also one of the oldest in this this list though the GSM+GSM is recent launch with slight difference in features.
While the CDMA version gets a 1650 mAH battery, the GSM version comes with a 1300 mAH battery unit so there is slight give and take. But for CDMA customers this phone is the best Dual SIM option available currently.
Spice Stellar Mi 425
Spice Stellar was recently launched by the company and comes with a very attractive specifications and an equally good price. The phone is based on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS, upgradable to Android 4.0, and runs a 1 GHz snapdragon processor.
The phone has a 4.1 inch capacitive touch screen and a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and also a 0.3 MP secondary camera. The combination works really well especially given the price of just Rs 9,700. We have reviewed the phone and it's really well worth the money.
Karbonn A9
The A9 is the current flagship phone of Karbonn and has an interesting specification for a price of Rs 9400.
The phone is based on Android v2.3 (Gingerbread) OS and works on a 1 GHz processor from Qualcomm. Karbonn A9 has a 5 megapixel camera with an additional 0.3 mega pixel camera upfront. It has a slightly smaller screen of 3.8 inch compared to Spice Stellar.
The phone sports a clean design and looks well built, though we are yet to test it.
