Help Data on SIM1, voice and messaging on SIM2 Possible?

[LennyK]

I use my cell phone mostly for email, Whatsapp, etc. I was using it with a data-only plan with a carrier (let's call it C1), along with a calling app (Fongo). However the app was not very reliable, and I got no response from a support request, so I started looking around. I found another carrier (let's call it C2) that had just what I needed, a limited use prepaid plan with no data. Since my phone is a dual-SIM model, I thought everything was good to go. But, a huge fly landed in the ointment. When I assigned SIM1 to data, leaving SIM2 assigned to voice and messages, the connection to C2 dropped. The result is that when I don't have Wi-Fi, I can have only one SIM card connected at a time, so I can have calling and messaging active (data, voice, and messaging assigned to SIM2), OR data active (data assigned to SIM1), but not both.
I do not understand why voice and message services require the data connection, unless it is for MMS. My plan "details" state only text, not SMS or MMS. I suppose that the answer to that may be a little too much to get into.
I have found quite a few cases with the same question, but no answer, which may depend on the specific phone, the version of Android, and the carriers or plans involved. For example, I found the following, based on 2 recent models of phones and Android 7:

On Android smartphones, you can set the preferred SIM for these actions:

Voice call - you can set the default SIM card for the phone calls that you make on your smartphone.
SMS messages - you can use only one SIM for sending SMS messages of your own.
Data service network - you can have only one active data connection to the internet. You must set the preferred SIM for connecting to the internet.

Country = Canada
C1 = Fido (Rogers)
C2 = Public Mobile (Telus)

The high cost of data with Canadian carriers has been in the news quite a bit lately, and the Big 3 don't have much to offer. Maybe I will just have to wait until that improves.

 

[LennyK]

The result is that when I don't have Wi-Fi, I can have only one SIM card connected at a time, so I can have calling and messaging active (data, voice, and messaging assigned to SIM2), OR data active (data assigned to SIM1), but not both.

Actually, I may not even have what I stated above.
I found my answer on another forum and it's NO, not possible, at least not with the Blu Vivo XL.

 

[mikedt]

Sounds like this phone is only what's called dual-SIM passive, meaning it can only effectively use one SIM at a time, as it only has one radio to share between the two SIMs. There's not a lot can do about that, except possibly change to another phone that's dual-SIM active, that can use both SIMs simultaneously for data and calls.

A Vivo phone in Canada. Where did you buy it, because dual-SIM Vivos are not usually sold in North America AFAIK.

 

[LennyK]

Thanks for your reply.

I believe that you are right about dual-SIM passive (dual-SIM standby?).
I do have 2 connected icons until I split the services, if that means anything, at least it seems to mean more than 1 radio?. I bought the phone Sept 2016 on Amazon.ca. I did not buy it with the intention of using the dual-SIM capability. I just stumbled into my predicament. Also, I have gone from bad to worse. I just found out that my original (data-only account) connection appears active, by the network bars icon, but no data is getting through, so I must have caused that while trying to get both SIMs working. Technology - great when it works - a royal PITA when it doesn't!.

My second SIM was for Public Mobile. After posting this, I did some more looking on their community blog, and found the following:

https://productioncommunity.publicm...ed/Second-PM-SIM-in-dual-sim-phone/m-p/132816

Sadly, for most dual sim card phones, this is normal if you have both of your sim cards inserted at the same time. Most of them only allow 3g network connections using sim slot #1. Even for the few that allow 3g networks with a sim card in sim card slot #2, that usually will disable the 3g is sim slot #1. Almost all dual sim phones are 2g only in the second slot. Public Mobile does not have any 2g network capabilities.

You'll almost certainly need another (second) phone, or you'll need to find a phone device model that allows 3g connections simultaneously in both sim slots (very, very rare).

https://productioncommunity.publicm...L-if-I-want-PM-and-Rogers-SIMs-but/m-p/135239

Yes you can't use onePlus2 for dual 3g/4g standby.
Option1. So you have to use another phone or hotspot to use pm LTE data. You can use 2 rogers SIM in oneplus2 but one sim is always going to be 2g which is fine for talk and text. The other sim can use LTE data.
Option 2. Buy a oneplus3, Asus zenfone 3 north American version or zte axon 7 to use both 3g/4g standby and you can use it as you wanted to.

https://productioncommunity.publicm...blic-mobile-on-dual-sim-phone/m-p/36275#M5063

Almost all of the Canadian cellphone companies have long phased out the 2G towers. You can only use 3G networks for voice and text, and either 3G or 4G for data.

So your inability to use Public Mobile on 1 of the 2 slots on your phone is a limitation of your device, not of the PM service. Furthermore, it would be the same if you were using a Telus/Rogers/Bell SIM instead of a PM SIM.