ViewSonic V350 Dual Sim Android 2.2 Sim Free Mobile Phone

I have upgraded to the V350 from an Acer DX900 (a Windows Mobile based dual SIM smartphone). To my knowledge that was the only other dual SIM smartphone ever released on the UK market.

The V350 is light years ahead of the DX900 in terms of its features, reliability and accessibility. I have not experienced any system crashes, memory issues or problems making/taking calls (all these problems were part of daily life owning a DX900). The dual SIM feature is implemented extremely well and it is very easy to manage which SIM the call/SMS is made from. Furthermore you can choose which SIM to send/receive data on.

I am new to Android, so the functionality and breadth of apps (compared to Win Mobile) were always going to be a novelty, and I am enjoying the change very much. I have not downloaded any apps from Marketplace that have refused to work with the phone.

I have seen other reviews on user forums cricising this product. I believe that ViewSonic have pitched this phone at the right pricepoint in terms of its specification. The processor does not provide cutting-edge performance, but this is a niche dual SIM product; it is not intended (or priced) as a cutting-edge multimedia device. However it runs videos from the YouTube app, internet browser content and Angry Birds perfectly satisfactorily! (although there is no Flash support in the browser).

The battery life is much maligned in other reviews. However I have installed the Mobo Task-killer from Marketplace (free of charge). This has improved my battery life to 2 days. Reviewers of this product would do well to realise that the battery life in high-spec smartphones is little better than 24 hours.

According to ViewSonic there will be an upgrade to Gingerbread (Android v2.3) released during November. I'm looking forward to seeing what further features this will bring.

I believe ViewSonic deserve some congratulations for bringing a reliable dual SIM smartphone to the UK market.

Have upgraded the operating system from Android 2.2 to 2.3 (Gingerbread). The instructions on this are available on the Viewsonic Europe web site under support.

I would certainly recommend doing this as the phone looks and feels much better and it seems to have improved the battery life. I would advise that you ensure that you are connected to your wireless network to get the download and have the phone plugged into the mains as it took several hours for the download to complete (left it running overnight) and then nearly an hour for the install.

The instructions aren't very clear on the web site as whilst you do need to back up your apps it also recommends backing up and restoring contacts but like an idiot I restored without checking first and found all my contacts had been duplicated! The one complaint I have is that the manual on the site for download has not be updated to reflect the changes hence there are a few changes you notice (IE new keyboard, how to change wallpaper etc) where some guidance would have been useful but as with most things you eventually work it out for yourself!

Overall a couple of months in and I'm very pleased with the phone. Its not perfect but certainly the best dual sim phone on the market currently.

After having been on pre-order for three months, my ViewSonic v350 has finally arrived. I popped in my two SIM cards (one contract, one pre-pay, one is UK, the other CH)
Though I believe professionals when they say the spec isn't break-though, I find it totally adequate (I am a beginner to Android). The handset is sleek, well designed, professional looking, light. The touchscreen is responsive, solid and more-than acceptable resolution. The OS is fast and contains all I could want [for the moment...]. The graphics are great and you-tube videos play perfectly.
And yes - the connectivity is exceptional! Both SIMs work flawlessly, simultaneously, the WiFi connection is fast. The 3G is good too and bluetooth is on there for good measure!
If, like me, you need Dual Sim and want a smartphone. This device is worth serious consideration.
I have a tiny gripe that the battery did not last as long as I expected, but the wonderful Android OS helpfully told me that my hour scrolling around on Google Maps used all the juice... Fair enough.