I have yet to find a US-based GSM provider phone with dual sim standby lately, regardless of price tiers ... it's more popular in other parts of the world for travelers with 2 active Sims, granted that there are technical limitations

How is the radio receiver (reception) on the Blu VIVO or the Pantech ?? - especially in marginal signal area ?

While understanding some of the expressed reservations in this thread about Blu's customer support, I generally don't need it. Since I'll need a second overseas phone for a trip with my sister to Ireland this summer and was pleased with the features and function of the Blu D130, I placed an order tonight for this model: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Blu+-+Da...0blu&cp=1&lp=3.

I'll report back after I get the phone. The reviews talk about the obvious compromises that have to be present with an Android 4.0 phone with a dual-core processor at this price, but in line with my earlier comments in this thread about the D130, this phone might work very well as my primary personal phone on a pay-as-you-go plan here in the US given that I have a work cell that will otherwise take care of my heavy lifting needs. I have a Vodafone UK SIM card with some remaining credit that will allow some roaming in the US on AT&T or T-Mobile that will give me a chance to play with some of the features, albeit for a brief period of time, before I go to Ireland this summer.

Looks really good for a basic travel phone, especially for the price. Also surprised to see the quad-core "Quattro 4.5" available under $250 (although that's still twice what the Dash sells for), which has the added bonus of being pentaband for UMTS.

BTW, there's no 1700 UMTS, so igf you need to go local AT&T prepaid (or AT&T-network Straight Talk, which is usually a better deal) is probably a better choice than T-Mobile, which only has limited upgrades to the 1900mhz UMTS band and is still mostly on 1700mhz.

Thanks for the thoughts. I hope this phone will work well overseas while providing enough function to serve as a primary talk phone here with my non-private data shifted to my work cell. Blu is promising a lot for a pretty low price. Truth: I'm happy if it works solely as a foreign phone. If I can use this to dump USA contracts, I'm way ahead of the game for $120.

There seem to be two versions, the D270A and D270I (http://www.gsmarena.com/stats.php3/b...h_4_0-5209.php) -- assuming it's the D270A, it will work really well on AT&T in the states, as it has both of their UMTS bands, and one of the two UMTS bands used by T-mobile (in major cities.)

The D270I, with 2100 rather than 1900, would have only the 850mhz UMTS band of ones in use in the states, which has a lot of AT&T coverage (since that's what the old AT&T side before the AT&T/Cingular merger used for their old TDMA coverage) but not all of it, and would have no roaming on T-mobile even in the major cities.

Outside the US, I can't keep track in my head which countries use which bands. It looks like Ireland uses 2100mhz:
http://www.gsmarena.com/network-band...ountry=IRELAND
so you'd need the D270I rather than D270A there.

Either one will work for voice pretty much everywhere.

I need also this that could support what in Europe is called 4G and could combine into a hotspot for my Iphone primary phone with VOIP.

What would be great?

"4G" means different things different places, but I don't think any of the Blu phones support any of them (HSPA+, LTE or WiMax.)

If this doesn't support tethering, you can get an app to do it.

I have been holding out for the new BLU Life One but maybe this is the way to go, since that will be a new phone and BLU has had some issues with support (from all I've read). I'm off to Germany for 19 days in May. I have a cheapo Euro-only dual sim phone now but it has a proprietary cable and the cable is held together with duct tape :)

I have an unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note that works fine with my Fonic SIM (unlimited data for €2.50/day, max of €25/month), I figured the Blu Life One has enough features to get me by and I could leave the Galaxy Note at home (or in the apartment). I have the misfortune of having two German numbers -- one I've had for a dozen years and people still call me on it, no matter how hard I've tried to get them to use my new Fonic number.

Mainly for international travel, I have the samsung galaxy y duos 6102b dual sim phone. It has 850/2100 3G. The 6102 has 900/2100 3G. Very good and basic dual sim phone.

http://m.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy...s6102-4385.php

Thanks to the OP and other posters on this thread. It's nice to have a "travel phone" that's quad-band and accepts SIM cards everywhere.

Generally, I play it safe and buy a phone at the country once I'm on the ground. At least I'm more sure the phone will actually work.

Blu is a cheap Chinese brand. None of my price-conscious friends in Indonesia dare to buy a Chinese brand even though they're half the cost. Everyone knows they'll work for a few months and break.

If your backup phone is like mine it spends its entire life not really getting used but inside a bag in my backpack getting banged around and pulled in and out and probably dropped.

Spend the extra few $$ on a cheap Samsung or Nokia. The last thing you need is for your backup to be DOA.

For $30 you get a dual sim quad band Samsung like this one from Amazon, a steal.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...sL._SY300_.jpg

I have had this in my travel bag since getting for a road trip this past January through some spots where I wanted double carrier "insurance."

It's not been turned on since then.

Tonight I did so and was amazed to find that it still had 1/3 battery life.

This is quite silly. First of all, my Blu is still working perfectly. Secondly - where do you think those cheap Samsung or Nokia phones are made? Third - Blu is based in Florida, not China.

Unless you have experience to base your claims off, there is no need to be directing people to brands using false information. A cheap phone is a cheap phone, no matter what the brand.

Bit OT, but if the thread has morphed into 'a good backup travel phone' I'd like to add this for consideration...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ICWA7I

Unlocked quad-band GSM (single SIM unfortunately) but why I like mine is that it is a very rugged phone - water & shock resistant, I usually carry it in the backpack and I'm not concerned about it taking some abuse..

Pros: relatively small, bright handy flashlight, can use it to hammer in tent stakes in a pinch, easy to replace SIM (remove the waterproof back with a coin), good talk time, excellent standby time.

Cons: Pricy at $85-ish, Samsung specific connector -- 'international version' comes with a Croatian or something wall wart (order a USB data cable/charger on e-bay for $5), phone has to be on for the flashlight to work, if you need data go somewhere else.

For a more functional backup/ttravel phone, at $119, I'd get the Moto E.

http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Moto-.../dp/B00K0NRYF6