Other Life with two iPhones?

[BenGoren]

I know it’s not at all uncommon for people to have two (or more!) Apple Watches, and to switch them up for fashion or function reasons (such as a new watch as a “daily driver” and an old one for sleep tracking).

What I haven’t heard any mention of is having two or more iPhones. And not a personal phone plus an employer-supplied work phone (or the like), but two actual different personal iPhones.

What I have in mind … right now, I have a 13 mini, which is both a fantastic phone and a very physically unobtrusive device (by modern standards). I anticipate having a new job in the Spring, at which point I’d seriously consider getting a 15 Pro Max … but there would be plenty of times when I’d still want to go out and about with the same 13 mini. Or, as a variation on the theme, I could see keeping the 13 mini in the backpack to use for mobile office work (mobile hotspot, telephony, SMS, etc.) without having to worry about grabbing the 15 PM on the way out the door.

I absolutely wouldn’t want to have different phone numbers. Indeed, I really wouldn’t want anything different between the two, save the form factor. For example, my watch shouldn’t care which phone it’s talking to.

Is this even possible? Does anybody actually do anything like this?

b&

 

[now i see it]

I have 5 functional (older) iPhones.
The problem with today’s iPhones is e-SIM. In the past you could pop out a physical SIM card and stick it in another iPhone in a few seconds, swapping E-SIMs frequently isn’t as fast.
An iPhone can be used for lots of other things except the usual iPhone stuff. It can be a dedicated display for certain apps or web content. Also having at least one other iPhone is important for backup in case your main unit goes belly up or you lose it or break it or whatever

 

[dathomso]

Oh do I wish that were possible... But two phones cant have the same number, watch cant pair to two phones at once, iPhone 15 is eSIM so you would have to use eSIMs to move number between the devices. Im in the same boat with multiple devices and no easy way to bounce between them. Im settled on work number on 14 Pro and personal number on 13 Mini and whoever actually still calls me will have a 50/50 chance.

 

[JDP1970]

Before the dual SIM XS MAX arrived I used two personal iPhones’s - 6 Plus & 7 Plus, prior to that it was a 4 with the 6 plus. Different numbers though, UK SIM in one & Thai DTAC SIM in the other, which got swapped out when travelling elsewhere.

 

[BenGoren]

The problem with today’s iPhones is e-SIM. In the past you could pop out a physical SIM card and stick it in another iPhone in a few seconds, swapping E-SIMs frequently isn’t as fast.

iPhone 15 is eSIM so you would have to use eSIMs to move number between the devices.

So … how bad is it switching eSIMs? Do you have to deactivate-then-activate, or can you just activate it on one and have it “take over”? Do you need more than on eSIM, or can you just toggle between “active” and “inactive”?

Part of me is surprised the carriers aren’t selling this sort of thing as a feature. Technically at their end, it can’t be any more complicated than a cellular watch paired with a phone. And, if you think of the sales potential … plenty of opportunity to convince people that they need more than one phone, whereas today it’s pretty much assumed you have exactly one.

b&

 

[JPack]

Because there's very few legitimate reasons for having two personal phones especially with dual-SIM.

"I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max, but let me experience the poor battery life of the iPhone 13 mini this Friday. Yeah, I love doing that every week."

Women or whoever want small phones will have bought an iPhone mini.

 

[JDP1970]

So … how bad is it switching eSIMs? Do you have to deactivate-then-activate, or can you just activate it on one and have it “take over”? Do you need more than on eSIM, or can you just toggle between “active” and “inactive”?

Part of me is surprised the carriers aren’t selling this sort of thing as a feature. Technically at their end, it can’t be any more complicated than a cellular watch paired with a phone. And, if you think of the sales potential … plenty of opportunity to convince people that they need more than one phone, whereas today it’s pretty much assumed you have exactly one.

b&

In my experience eSIM is fine until things go wrong ie if you were out of the country and your phone died (happened to my XS Max), with a physical SIM you could just pop it in another phone, with an eSIM not so. A visit to a store would be required and that’s a problem if you’re on another continent. In theory eSIM should be easy, with many carriers, it’s simply not the case and potentially, very problematic, especially if you need your phone line for internet banking etc.

 

[canuckRus]

Because of Covid pandemic have iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini. Also have 6S refurb at 96% battery on hand.

 

[spiderpumpkin]

I never found having two iPhones useful, but having an S23 Ultra and iPhone Pro Max is awesome.

 

[greg5green]

I'm pretty sure T-Mobile DIGITS can solve the two phones, one number situation, but I might be misremembering.

I think the bigger problem is the watch. I've briefly played around with two phones off and on because I get tired of the Max size and go back to the regular Pro on an older phone and I'm pretty sure there is no way to have the watch pair to multiple phones -- afaik, you have to pretty much wipe it to switch between phones.

 

[sack_peak]

Multiple phones means multiple dating app profiles!!

 

[contacos]

Oh do I wish that were possible... But two phones cant have the same number, watch cant pair to two phones at once, iPhone 15 is eSIM so you would have to use eSIMs to move number between the devices. Im in the same boat with multiple devices and no easy way to bounce between them. Im settled on work number on 14 Pro and personal number on 13 Mini and whoever actually still calls me will have a 50/50 chance.

I have two iPhone using the same number. I only had to get a „multi-sim“ which is 5 Euro extra on my plan. If someone calls, both ring until I pick up on either one. The phones are basically a clone. Now that WhatsApp opened up for multiple phones, I literally have a clone of the other phone.

The issue with the AppleWatch remains tho. Can only have it on one

 

[BenGoren]

I'm pretty sure T-Mobile DIGITS can solve the two phones, one number situation, but I might be misremembering.

Thanks for the tip! Our family is on T-Mobile. I just looked up DIGITS … it would probably work. I’m not sure I like the idea of paying twice for data … but we’ll see what the finances look like in the spring.

I think the bigger problem is the watch. I've briefly played around with two phones off and on because I get tired of the Max size and go back to the regular Pro on an older phone and I'm pretty sure there is no way to have the watch pair to multiple phones -- afaik, you have to pretty much wipe it to switch between phones.

Ugh — that’s definitely not worth it. Hopefully … hopefully the watch can just live paired to a single phone, and that phone can stay plugged in when left behind to do things like SMS relaying. But … that still leaves out things like hearing aid control, where the watch app is just a frontend to the phone app and requires the phone to be nearby to actually do anything.

I’ll have to sleep on it … but, the good news is, I’ve got plenty of time to sleep on it between now and when I would have any hope of making it happen.

Thanks, all!

b&

 

[wnyc1]

Well, what I would do is just sign into iMessage & FaceTime account on my second phone than just have my second phone connected to my Hotspot. You would get all your calls and message on your secondary device.

 

[bevsb2]

I have 2 phones with Xfinity. I use an App called Wofftrax (it tracks your dog walks and you designate a charity for money to go to). The Pro Max was too big and heavy to carry in my dog treat bag and it turns out that the App is not available for the watch. So...I got a Mini 12 on eBay just to use the App and fell in love with the Mini. I added it to my plan so I could use it on other occasions when a smaller phone would be preferable. I did have to get a second number for the phone, but it is set up with call forwarding so that if my primary phone isn't answered the call automatically goes to the Mini.

 

[xnview]

I have 2 personal phones, one of them I don’t use much, but I get all iMessages on it, I have just set the phone number on my primary phone to forward the call if I don’t pick up

 

[Rnd-chars]

If you only needed FaceTime (audio/video) and/or could use call forwarding, you might be able to get close depending on the limitations.

 

[fish09276]

I know it’s not at all uncommon for people to have two (or more!) Apple Watches, and to switch them up for fashion or function reasons (such as a new watch as a “daily driver” and an old one for sleep tracking).

What I haven’t heard any mention of is having two or more iPhones. And not a personal phone plus an employer-supplied work phone (or the like), but two actual different personal iPhones.

What I have in mind … right now, I have a 13 mini, which is both a fantastic phone and a very physically unobtrusive device (by modern standards). I anticipate having a new job in the Spring, at which point I’d seriously consider getting a 15 Pro Max … but there would be plenty of times when I’d still want to go out and about with the same 13 mini. Or, as a variation on the theme, I could see keeping the 13 mini in the backpack to use for mobile office work (mobile hotspot, telephony, SMS, etc.) without having to worry about grabbing the 15 PM on the way out the door.

I absolutely wouldn’t want to have different phone numbers. Indeed, I really wouldn’t want anything different between the two, save the form factor. For example, my watch shouldn’t care which phone it’s talking to.

Is this even possible? Does anybody actually do anything like this?

b&

I’m the same. My primary phone is a 14PM but a lot of times I’m like you and would like to take my 13 mini instead and I could do so back when we had physical Sims but now eSIM‘s are a pain in the butt to switch back-and-forth with Verizon you have to get on the phone with them for two hours to activate and I’ve tried many many times so I had to turn the 13 mini back in. Otherwise I would’ve kept it if it would’ve been easier to switch back-and-forth so I think Apple is losing money at least with Verizon.

 

[fish09276]

Oh do I wish that were possible... But two phones cant have the same number, watch cant pair to two phones at once, iPhone 15 is eSIM so you would have to use eSIMs to move number between the devices. Im in the same boat with multiple devices and no easy way to bounce between them. Im settled on work number on 14 Pro and personal number on 13 Mini and whoever actually still calls me will have a 50/50 chance.

And Verizon frowns on frequent esim switching so the usual process won’t work and you have to try to possibly get a Verizon agent to spend 90 minutes with you trying to get it switched back the allow one switch seamlessly, but do it more than once and you’ll regret ever doing it.

 

[fish09276]

I know it’s not at all uncommon for people to have two (or more!) Apple Watches, and to switch them up for fashion or function reasons (such as a new watch as a “daily driver” and an old one for sleep tracking).

What I haven’t heard any mention of is having two or more iPhones. And not a personal phone plus an employer-supplied work phone (or the like), but two actual different personal iPhones.

What I have in mind … right now, I have a 13 mini, which is both a fantastic phone and a very physically unobtrusive device (by modern standards). I anticipate having a new job in the Spring, at which point I’d seriously consider getting a 15 Pro Max … but there would be plenty of times when I’d still want to go out and about with the same 13 mini. Or, as a variation on the theme, I could see keeping the 13 mini in the backpack to use for mobile office work (mobile hotspot, telephony, SMS, etc.) without having to worry about grabbing the 15 PM on the way out the door.

I absolutely wouldn’t want to have different phone numbers. Indeed, I really wouldn’t want anything different between the two, save the form factor. For example, my watch shouldn’t care which phone it’s talking to.

Is this even possible? Does anybody actually do anything like this?

b&

Word of warning you can switch eSIM’s between two phones once with Verizon. Try switching back again won’t be as smooth so you end up calling them up to activate the eSIM back and it takes about 90 minutes. back when we had physical Sim so I could swap between two phones very easily, but no longer

 

[tymaster50]

Maybe I'm just not understanding, why not just have one iPhone in a size you like? You say it's not for work purposes, so whats the benefit of lugging around 2 devices that do exactly the same thing with the added benefit of only being able ot actually use one?