The telecommunications discussion thread

[rogf24]

Does anyone have experience with Dual Sim phones? I'm thinking of getting one. 1 Sim for lots of data (including for OTT) using a Sim intended for tablets and another Sim for phone calls+text that is cheap and will last a while since I don't use it much these days.

[simonl]

Does anyone have experience with Dual Sim phones? I'm thinking of getting one. 1 Sim for lots of data (including for OTT) using a Sim intended for tablets and another Sim for phone calls+text that is cheap and will last a while since I don't use it much these days.

You generally pay a performance penalty.

Getting one sim with a number and data on post paid isn't difficult or expensive. In fact, probably cheaper than what you're proposing.

[rogf24]

Does anyone have experience with Dual Sim phones? I'm thinking of getting one. 1 Sim for lots of data (including for OTT) using a Sim intended for tablets and another Sim for phone calls+text that is cheap and will last a while since I don't use it much these days.

You generally pay a performance penalty.

Getting one sim with a number and data on post paid isn't difficult or expensive. In fact, probably cheaper than what you're proposing.

No, not really on performance. It's mostly a bit more battery drain.

I did a bit of digging and found a tablet data plan from Optus that is probably the best deal and a pre-paid payg plan for calls+text from Aldi with credit that lasts 365 days so I might go with that combination. As I said, I don't use plain old calls+text these days since I use OTT a lot more (FB messenger, Whatsapp, Skype and even Snapchat, that kind of thing).

[macpro622776]

I've found that many of the dual-sim devices only support a limited number of bands on the secondary SIM. E.g. you can use 4G LTE on the first SIM, but the second SIM would be limited to 2G/3G networks. Just bear that in mind when choosing a phone.

[rogf24]

Most dual sim phones are limited to 2g, which I don't mind for calls and text but it's being shut down, which is the problem. 3g seems fine though. I don't think there are any dual sim phones that puts out a 4g signal from both sims.

[B10BLE]

NBN speeds are a pain. Provider is TPG



Labour's lovechild ruined by the Liberals. Makes me wish Google Fiber was here, I mean, look at this.

[simonl]

NBN speeds are a pain. Provider is TPG

I've seen the same thing although not as extreme.

[B10BLE]

and my connection is fttp which is better than fttn and I'm in a suburban area. how my connection is this absurdly slow is astronomically mind boggling

[Douglas]

NBN speeds are a pain. Provider is TPG

If you can replicate the same speed tests a couple of times throughout the day (and ideally on a wired connection to your router) call TPG and complain. If they can't fix it then I would complain very loudly and see about moving to another provider.

[mubd]

If it's NBN FTTP, it's almost certainly the fault of TPG. No Liberal Party meddling could have given you speeds that low on FTTP (if you had FTTN then you might have something to complain about).

Generally speaking, you get what you pay for on the NBN. E.g. If you pay Telstra $100 a month for 100GB, you should expect to get a high level of service with low congestion. But pay Dodo $10 a month for unlimited, and you can certainly expect to get XXX speeds and high amounts of congestion.

[crazyturbo76]

Optus is now accepting pre-orders for the new Samsung GS8 - got a SMS from 'em yesterday about it. I'm still on the wall about whether to get one of those to replace my GS5 (contract finished this month), but it'll all be a matter of wait and see methinks.

I just wish Telstra hadn't hogged exclusive rights to the Google Pixel...

[tbohlsennswssrg]

I just wish Telstra hadn't hogged exclusive rights to the Google Pixel...

Have you tried ordering from the Google store directly?

Here it is: https://store.google.com/product/pixel_2

It would be have to be purchased outright though, if you got it this way and if it ships to Australia.

[B10BLE]

I'm thinking of buying an Oukitel K10000. It's a phone with a gigantic 10,000mAh battery, I'll use it as a banker for my main phone. Online stores suggest it's quite cheap for $208 on GearBest.

I would never buy a Chinese phone, but with a battery that huge, it's best used as a banker.

[crazyturbo76]

Phones of Chinese origin have gotten pretty good these days I have to admit - I've had my Huawei P10 for nearly two years now and it has served me well. Some notes:
- Phone is quite adequate in terms of raw oomph, runs everything quite well, although I don't really play mobile games on my phone (well as much as I used to).
- Leica camera is top-notch, pretty damn good in terms of quality compared to its' opposition in its' time period (the iPhone 6/8 and the Samsung GS7/8). From what I've heard the Mate 20's Leica camera is very good as well.
- Build quality is a bit suspect, at least for my P10. Headphone jack is for the most part stuffed, although I do admit I often accidentally get the cord stuck on things from time to time (which is why I now use Bluetooth headphones heavily). The volume buttons have also gotten harder to press since I first got my phone, which kinda paints a picture of what quality control is enforced at Huawei's plants in China.
- Battery was quite good in terms of endurance when I first got my P10 but it has fallen to the usual pitfall of drinking as much battery power as someone with a Camelbak on his shoulders. The fact that Huawei phones are subject to a bit of bloatware doesn't help either.

Once I figure out whether I will renew my contract with Optus or not I might think about what phone to get next time around. Pixel 3 is the big contender as I want something with minimal bloatware - less bloatware, less pressure on the battery. Not to mention vanilla Android is a plus.