Yes, I carry two phones and I get questioned about it all the time. I’m not a drug dealer. I have a work phone and a personal phone. It’s not unreasonable that I would want to keep things separate and carrying two phones in my pocket isn’t so bad since they are small and not huge ones that look like mini tablet PC’s. They fit comfortably in my pocket. Sure, it’s a hassle having to charge and take care of two phones. I put mostly the same apps on my Android phone and iOS iPhone. But there are definite advantages…
- Personal stuff stays separate from work stuff
- If one phone runs out of battery, I always have a backup
- When I’m on a call with one phone, I can take notes or look at navigation/maps on the other phone
- Since I have one Android and one iOS phone, I can learn about app differences
- You can take pictures with one phone without leaving another app on the other phone
Point 1 is important because it’s great for NSFW content and many employers can and will spy on your activity. I’ve read that they’re even allowed to wipe your phone clean at their will. When I was terminated from a job and only had one phone, I was told it would take 10 days to port my number to a new phone. I might as well have disappeared from the face of the earth! So I quickly got a new phone with a new phone number.
There are some negatives like having to keep two types of chargers (although this problem doesn’t apply if they are both the same type of phone. I had to buy two phone cases. When it comes to typing, I have to get adapt to the keyboard differences when I switch back and forth. I use SwiftKey’s personalized text entry on my Android phone and there is nothing similar available on iOS that integrates with all the other apps. Also, I pay for a data plan that I don’t really need on my personal phone since my work phone gives unlimited data for free. But that points to another advantage. I can use the hotspot on the work phone to save on data usage on the personal phone. And I get questioned on the two phone lifestyle a lot. But while I can afford to do this and have a job, I will. As an amateur photographer, one big advantage is that the camera on the work iPhone 5S is much better than on my Motorola Moto X. I’ve taken some amazing shots on my iPhone and only a few good ones on the Motorola. The iPhone is much better in low light situations and it is much faster.
For those of you who might be wondering which I like better, I slightly favor the Android. The big thing is having the back arrow which I can’t stand that Apple doesn’t make a permanent fixture. I feel like Apple prioritizes the simplicity and coolness of having one button over usability. Some iOS apps do have a back button but its location changes depending on the app.
It’s not like I need two phones, but having a mobile phone in addition to my work phone sure makes life smoother for me.
+Atul
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