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With the launch of the dual SIM phones last year, the Indian handset industry witnessed the arrival of a new technology all together. Dual SIM phones are meant to support two active connections in one phone. This saves the effort and money invested in keeping two handsets for two separate connections. This trend was started by Spice, who launched two dual SIM phones It gained popularity and apart from Spice many companies such as Samsung, Fly and Bleu introduced a number of dual SIM devices. Today, markets are also flooded with unbranded phones offering dual functionality. But the question that crops up with so many launches is that the right dual sim phone.
Connectivity Support
Before buying a dual sim device consumer should consider their con-; nectivity needs. In simple terms the first thing a users needs to identify is whether they will be using two GSM connections or one GSM and one CDMA. A lot of these phones are avail¬able in various combinations. Some support two GSM connections whereas some support one GSM and one CDMA connection. For instance, Spice offers two dual SIM phones. The Spice D88 supports one GSM and one CDMA connection whereas the D80 supports; two GSM connections. Same is the case with the phones launched by Fly and Samsung.
But if your requirement is of just two CDMA connections in one phone, then you need to wait for the time when companies will launch whether these phones will be able to perform and much up to your needs as well as expectation?Well,the answer is yes but only if you go in for a sensible buy considering a few things while buying one.

Many more Indian companies are entering the mobile handset busi- ness. What does this mean for consumers? Sonia Sharma finds out .Around 9 million handsets are consumed every month in India. That pretty much makes us one of the largest mobile phone markets in the world. Also these days, people are getting increasingly conscious about the kind of mobile phones they carry. Everyone wants a good looking phone and possessing one is no longer just the privilege of the upper class. Another noticeable change is that phones are becoming entertainment devices with better music quality along with multimedia features like cameras and GPRS receivers. All this has been achieved without compromising on the phone’s looks.

Ironically, the Indian handset market is marked by the presence of five major and many smaller global handset compa-nies.However, till date only two Indian companies have made it big in this segment. But today, the scenario is changing and many more Indian companies are venturing into this sector to dig into the mobile boom pie. The best part is that these companies are not some obscure newcomers in the Indian market. Some of them are big shots in the consumer electronic segment.
Kunal Ahooja, CEO, Spice Mobiles Ltd, an Indian mobile handset company, says, “The Indian market is the fastest growing in the world. There is a huge demand at the entry level and mid tier segments. This is where we being an Indian company have an edge over the MNCs because we understand the Indian psyche better and build customised handsets for our consumers. On the other hand, global brands that are present here build brands at the global level and then bring them to India - a move which cannot cater to the needs of all segments of mobile users.”
Currently mobile penetration in India is around 25 per cent. It is expected to grow to 40-50 per cent in the next four years. On the other hand, the replacement market is also growing rapidly, making it a very lucrative proposition for these companies.
According to our sources, Onida, a leading brand in consumer electronics like TVs and washing machines, has already launched a handset called V110, which has a standby time of 28 days. This is an important aspect as battery has always been the most important criteria especially in the hinterlands where there is a perennial shortage of electricity. But Onida is not limiting itself to the entry-level and mid-level phones. It will soon come out with a smart phone as well.

Beerud Seth, CEO,Webaroo, talks to Anand Singh about SMS QupShup an SMS community service, which lets its users to send free group SMS across the country
SMS GupShup is a social messaging platform. Tell us something more about the service
SMS GupShup was inspired by a desire to bring more content to mobile phones, even the most basic of handsets.
It is a free group messaging service that helps mobile users create and join groups and send/receive group messages or greetings. Users, as well as publishers such as bloggers and news organisations can generate the content. SMS GupShup has more than 2 lakh user-based commu¬nities in categories such as finance, entertainment, spirituality, education and business.
How is SMS GupShup performing? What all can be done with its features?
Since its launch in April 2007, SMS GupShup has grown dramatically. It is actively used by mil¬lions of users on a daily basis to share content across a variety of categories such as finance, entertainment, colleges, clubs and associations, religion, jokes and politics.
These groups reflect the emerging SMS trend in India. There are a number of things one can do with SMS GupShup like creating multiple groups to stay in touch with friends, family, colleagues and customers, access a picture gallery for latest content etc. Apart form that, one can also search for new friends and groups through our systematic list of all the categories of communities.
FToday our users include every segment of mobile users like stock brokers who send tips to their clients (Nikstock), organisers to announce parties (LetzParty), by the spiritually minded to share religious thoughts (SikhNetwork), jokesters to share jokes (SMSWorld), leaders to organise their community (SinlengNews) and much more. We have some¬thing for everyone.
The trend of messag¬ing through Web por¬tals is on an upswing. This facility is also used for mass campaigns. Please high¬light the news serv¬ice pro¬vided in Orissa and other initiatives taken by Webaroo SMS GupShup?
SMS GupShup does not publish any content of its own - all of it is User Generated Content (UGC). We only provide a platform for users to express themselves, which in other words is microblogging. Odisha is one of our partners, which sends out breaking news from within Orissa. As mentioned earlier, just like Odisha, SMS GupShup has more than 2 lakh user-based commi nities in categories like finance, entertainment, spirituality, education and business.
What other features will be included in SMS GupShup in the near future?
We have a very aggressive product roadmap wherein we will launch newer and better features and will also continue to provide delightful user experience to millions of our users who have reposed faith in our product.
We are also striving to make a contribution to the society by using the power od messaging. For instance, we are the official SMS partner for the United Nation’s (UN’s) End Poverty 2015 campaign. SMS GupShup will promote the cause of this cam¬paign among millions of its users. The UN has also created a community ‘EndPovertj^OlS’ on http:/Avww.smsgupshup.com, which anyone in India can join by sending an SMS: “JOIN END-POVERTY2015″ to 567678.
Who are your competitors in the Indian market?
SMS communities are still a very nascent seg¬ment in India but definitely has a potential to grow bigger. Currently the only other company providing similar services is Netcore through its MyToday SMS service.