A few days ago, I chanced upon one of my friends after a long time. In the course of our conversation, he got a few calls. One thing struck me - he had two mobiles, and was using both.

Yes, I agree, there is nothing great about having two mobiles. The reason why I was surprised that this was the same guy against using mobiles, some ten years ago. Back then, when I bought my first mobile, he couldn’t accept the fact that someone would need a mobile phone. “You have a phone at home, and there are several in your office. You are going to travel only for a couple of hours. And there are pay phones available everywhere on your way to office and back. I think you are trying to show off.”

So, it was natural for me to be surprised when I saw him using two cell phones. It also turned out that one of his mobiles was a dual SIM device and both the SIM cards were active. Now, the point is, why did this person, who was against the use of mobiles, end up with three connections?

It’s just because the use of more than one mobile phones has become inevitable. One reason for this is mobile phones are no more used for just for talking or texting - they have almost become computers. And using one mobile for everything is just asking for trouble. There is no use complaining about your “useless mobile” if you are going to use it for everything.

It is better to have one mobile for talking and texting. If you are heavily into using apps or social networking, then you need another device because constantly connecting to the Net will drain your phone’s battery. And there are apps that end up consuming enormous juice. So, if you have charged your mobile early in the morning, and have used it for making a few calls, sending some messages, tweeting and posting the pictures you clicked on social media sites, your phone will be drained by the time you leave for home in the evening.

Battery drain is just one of the reasons. The device is also likely to become more sluggish as you keep clicking photos, using multiple apps and browsing the net. If your device does not have a good processor or enough RAM, each click or swipe will take ages to register or complete. How often have you cleared the cache in your mobile? And how often have you deleted or moved the photos from your mobile?

Then there is the perennial problem of network connectivity. Not all operators have strong network everywhere. There are areas where many operators have almost zero network connectivity. And having a second phone can be of immense help in these times...and when you suddenly discover that the battery in one of the phones has drained out.

I realised this when both of them happened together recently when I had to stay in a hospital as a caretaker for a patient. The waiting room was in the basement. I discovered to my horror that the phone I used for making calls had hardly any battery left. Though the one I used for browsing had enough battery, there was no signal. I had to switch the SIM cards. Though I could not browse or use apps, I was at least connected.

Those who are into social networks may definitely feel the need for having two mobiles. If you are going to keep shooting pics of your friends and places, and also keep posting them to multiple social networks, you must be aware that apart from draining battery (because of the very nature of apps and because of being constantly connected to the Internet), you are also using up the phone’s storage. I know a school kid who filled up 2 GB memory card in his phone in just three months with pictures of his friends.

Now are there disadvantages? Of course. If you use both the phones for talking and texting you must ensure that the contacts are synchronised. If both the phones run on Android, you will have no problems as the contacts will be synced automatically. The problem arises if the phones are of different platforms. It’s here that a good contact syncing software like PhoneCopy helps. Of course, PhoneCopy requires a paid subscription if you have more than 500 contacts, but it is worth it. It can sync with almost any platform. It will also help you if you lose your phone and have to retrieve your contacts.

Then there is the usual trouble of keeping both the phones charged and paying two bills. Again, these are small troubles you have to take for the benefits you get.

Now, do people have more than two phones? I had three. Now I have four. Four? Yes. As my bread and butter comes because of the Internet (if you find anything wrong with the newspaper’s web site, I am responsible for it), I have two mobiles - on different networks - that connect to the Internet, just to ensure I don’t miss ANY email because of network connectivity. And I have a Nokia 808 - that has The Mother Of All Cameras - just to take pictures and upload them. If you think this is too much, wait for a few years, who knows - you may also strut around with four mobiles.

dinakaran.rengachary@thehindu.co.in

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