two SIM at once Quadband phone!

[schuster]

Originally Posted by bbob

schuster was battery life did you get during your trip

The phone wasn't on all the time, so I'm just estimating based on the assumption that the battery meter is approximately linear.
I'd say about 4 days using the fat battery.

[Stu]

I just got my very own "Zoho" v90. My observations are based on just a couple of hours use. First, I don't love the sound of the speaker on the phone. I'm going to try it with a Bluetooth headset and see if that improves things.

Second, charging this thing up is interesting. The USB cable will plug upside very easily. Second, I'm not getting an indication that the battery is charging. I accidentally plugged the cable in upside down and fear that I may have screwed something up.

I think this isn't a bad phone, but whoever made it cut a couple of corners. A slightly better speaker and mike, couple with a slightly smaller/thinner size would be more impressive than a touch screen.

The other thing I noticed is that the clock does not automatically update from the SIMs

[schuster]

Originally Posted by Stu

I just got my very own "Zoho" v90. My observations are based on just a couple of hours use. First, I don't love the sound of the speaker on the phone. I'm going to try it with a Bluetooth headset and see if that improves things.

Second, charging this thing up is interesting. The USB cable will plug upside very easily. Second, I'm not getting an indication that the battery is charging. I accidentally plugged the cable in upside down and fear that I may have screwed something up.

I think this isn't a bad phone, but whoever made it cut a couple of corners. A slightly better speaker and mike, couple with a slightly smaller/thinner size would be more impressive than a touch screen.

The other thing I noticed is that the clock does not automatically update from the SIMs

It is lacking somewhat in volume (paradoxical considering how deafeningly loud it can play music through the rear speakers) but nowhere nearly as bad as, say, my Nokia E61i. Certainly corners have been cut to make this cheap (notice the fake camera lens on the front?). I think the thickness is to accommodate the battery.

In plugging the USB cable you have to match the metal surfaces - the plug goes in so the shielded side mates with the shielded part of the socket on the phone. If you force it in backwards, you might mess up the tiny contacts inside. If it is charging you should see a huge batteyr gauge on the screen with a flashing lightning bolt indicating charging.

[Stu]

Then I screwed it up, but force is not a fair term for what I did. I'll play with seeing if there is an easy way to charge the spare battery, otherwise, I screwed up big time.

With respect to the rear speaker, I powered it for the first time in an office and it disturbed half the office. I suggest taking it home and reconfiguring your profiles there. It has the loudest powerup that I've ever heard.

[schuster]

Originally Posted by Stu

Then I screwed it up, but force is not a fair term for what I did. I'll play with seeing if there is an easy way to charge the spare battery, otherwise, I screwed up big time.

With respect to the rear speaker, I powered it for the first time in an office and it disturbed half the office. I suggest taking it home and reconfiguring your profiles there. It has the loudest powerup that I've ever heard.

Go to eBay and order one of those universal wall chargers with moveable contact arms.
They cost less than USD$10 and can charge the battery outside of the phone.

[bbob]

I have been using the phone now whith only 1 sim activated and the other one switched off.

Theoretically this should increase battery life as 1 sender/receiver is not working. In reallity it looks like it does not make a difference. After 2 days battery is dead.

[bbob]

Phone died while I was in the USA. I still had an old nokia phone with me.

Could not charge anymore and it would not go back on. Will try to sent it back to dealextrme and see what they say or if they give any guarentee at all.

[GadgetKen]

Have been using an MFU V200 dual sim quad band phone I picked up on ebay from a Hong Kong dealer for US$53 including registered airmail. Decent audio quality. It's a sturdy, if somewhat basic, phone. It's a dual active sim and a bluetooth headset can run off either sim card.
In US, I use an AT&T/Jolt prepaid and a T-Mobile/Tuyo prepaid sim card in it.
When I go to Nevis at the end of February probably will use my Digicel Bermuda card, and will likely use up the last of my airtime on my MaxRoam card as the second sim (probably in St. Marteen en route to Nevis).
It's nice having two active cards in case I'm nearer to a network tower for one carrier than another, or the rate is cheaper on one sim card than another. Also can access the directories on either sim card to dial a number.
One glitch I've found is if the second sim card defaults to the same carrier as the first sim, and a call is rejected on the second sim (no roaming agreement other than emergency calls), then the first sim will not be able to make calls until the phone is turned off and back on again. Happens when I use the T-Mo/Tuyo card in rural areas only covered by AT&T. Easiest way to avoid this is just to not dial with the sim that says "emergency only" instead of a network carrier name.