Huawei first with dual-SIM Android

Huawei today revealed it will be the first to launch a dual-SIM Android-powered smartphone in Australia, with the Huawei Deuce hitting stores with an RRP of AU$249.

Not affiliating the Deuce with any Aussie telco, the handset will be available through Allphones, Dick Smith and Harvey Norman.

The Deuce will offer users the opportunity to install two different SIM cards and to make and receives calls and messages on both simultaneously. This is a sought-after feature for users who travel frequently or who use services with cheap international calling rates alongside a standard plan from one of the major telcos.

Aside from the dual-SIM feature, the rest of the handset specs for the Deuce remain fairly modest. It runs on Android 2.2 and is powered by a 600MHz Qualcomm processor. A 3.2-inch HVGA resolution touchscreen display should be sufficient for basic smartphone use and its 1500mAh battery capacity is generous for the price.

A phone with two SIM cards is not a new idea, but it is a feature most of the big name OEMs have avoided, presumably because telco partners baulk at the idea of subsidising the cost of a phone that can then be used on a competitor's network. There are several dual-SIM phones running on Android available online, but none made by a company with the reputation of a company like Huawei.