Two Numbers/Two Different Carriers/Single BB?

[loouloou]

I searched the forums but did not find the situation I was looking for.
Google Voice is not an option for my situation.
Number forwarding is not an options (I would lose text messages).

My situation/goal:
- I have a BB for work and an iPhone (AT&T) for personal use.
- I want to keep both numbers but carry a single device.
- I want to have the ability to "turn off" my work number after-hours and on weekends.

I wonder if this would work:
- Purchase a Verizon BB 9850 (CDMA) with an active number on Verizon.
- Unlock the Verizon BB 9850.
- Insert an AT&T SIM card with an active number.

My thought is the 9850 is a "world phone" and requires a SIM card to work overseas (mostly Europe). Logically, the same situation *should* work here in the US when using the 9850. Both lines would make/receive phone calls/text to a single device. I can turn my business line off on nights and weekends.

Questions:
- Has anyone tried this before?
- Would this give me two working lines on a single phone?
- What kind of challenges would you foresee?

[Heavy Fluid]

This won't work. You can't have CDMA and GSM on at the same time. If you were to use the CDMA side, your GSM number simply wouldn't ring. I honestly do not think that without Google Voice, you will be able to achieve what you want, on a single device. You do know that you can text on Google Voice as well, right?

[evb624]

Yeah without google voice, I don't see any way of this working. If you do find a way, I would love to know it.

[jranciano]

Everything you want can be had for FREE with Google Voice


When you sign up for Google Voice, do NOT select "Google Voice Number" option. Select the option that allows you to use your existing number. Once you got that done, go to your voice/call settings and set up a forwarding phone number.


I have 3 cell phone lines (1 business, 1 personal, 1 "home phone").


The number I have linked to GV is my Business line. Only a select few have access to my personal line. I have my Personal line set up as a forwarding phone on my GV, so when anyone calls my business phone and they're in my "Personal" group that I created in GV, GV will also ring my personal phone even though that person called my Business line.


I also have an office line using GV, and I use the "Do Not Disturb" feature to set up my hours of operation so if someone calls when I'm "closed", they'll just go straight to voicemail and my phone wont ring . And the great part is that I can receive SMS or email notifications when someone leaves me a voicemail, and GV will transcribe the voicemail. Comes in handy when I don't take the call because I can still read what the voicemail says. Transcriptions aren't perfect, but enough for me to understand the message.


The great part is that you get FREE SMS messaging! I wouldn't call it a true unlimited sms messaging since there have been many occasions where I have "reached the sms limit" and had to wait 24 hours before I could send another text message. But then again, that was sending out about 150-200 text messages between several dozen different contacts in one day

[loouloou]

I've used Google Voice. Not impressed. Was unreliable for business situations and voice mails were constantly delayed or never received, making me appear unresponsive to my customers. There were three times I know of where calls would not go through. I also have one customer, for whatever reason, they cannot call a Google Voice number from their office phone system.

I do appreciate everyone trying to help

[evb624]

Originally Posted by loouloou

I've used Google Voice. Not impressed. Was unreliable for business situations and voice mails were constantly delayed or never received, making me appear unresponsive to my customers. There were three times I know of where calls would not go through. I also have one customer, for whatever reason, they cannot call a Google Voice number from their office phone system.

I do appreciate everyone trying to help

Sounds like you may just have to suck it up, and carry 2 phones. I have to too. Not fun, but works.


Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk

[MisterObvious]

I never have delays with Google Voice. Loouloou, how did you try using GV?

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[bobbydudeman]

You would have to go to Network Connections and switch between 1XEV (Verizon) and GSM/UMTS (AT&T) networks. You would not be able to use both numbers at the same time. I think that the only way you could make this work is with Google Voice. However, if you somehow figure out a way to make this work, I would love to know it. I'm facing a similar issue with global roaming with Verizon...

Also, keep in mind that if you were to manage to do this, you would only get GPRS/GSM/EDGE for your AT&T number. No 3G.

It would be really great if RIM came up with a BlackBerry capable of supporting two numbers at the same time... Either CDMA/CDMA, CDMA/GSM, or GSM/GSM dual SIM. I don't know how nobody has thought about this yet.