Recently I’ve been considering opening up a second phone line with a different company. In this line of work, or really for anybody who likes to tinker with phones, it sometimes becomes hard to stick with just one phone for a year and a half or more (which I still think is too long, but that’s a business tactic for you). Opening up a second line at the right time would open up a new world of possibilities when it came to new phone releases and giving me opportunity to experience a new device in full as oppose to just paying visits inside the stores, but is it worth the money and maintenance?
I’ve met quite a few people that carry around two, sometimes even three phones at one time. Generally these people are very busy and take a lot of designated phone calls, but there is one person I met who just carries three phones on three different belt clips at all times “just because”. Hey, who am I to judge? I think if I could afford three phone lines for myself I probably would, although I don’t know if I’d necessarily carry all of them around with me.
Working at Sprint I met a few people who had multiple lines open so that they could upgrade every few months or so. It was a good tactic for being able to fully understand the new devices that came out and being able to answer customer questions with more understanding. It was a tactic I never picked up on, but it’s something that I’m somewhat considering now. There are pros to the idea for me, but there are also a few problems I have with it.
Personally, I don’t like the idea of having a phone sit around unused. I don’t feel that I talk to enough people to justify getting a second phone line. Unfortunately, I haven’t found a carrier that will allow me to just get a basic talk plan with a smartphone activated on the line, therefore pushing me to get a more expensive data plan. The numbers would add up month after month and I imagine after the initial thought of “Yay! New phone!” it would slowly turn in to “Oh no; the bill!”
The devil on my shoulder tells me I should do it, as I have that “new phone itch” that I sometimes get when looking at too many review videos or reading other articles. The frugal goblin in my head tells me it’s useless right now; I’d just be digging a grave for myself, and for what? It’s better to admire from afar anyway. These next 7 months will give me ample time to look for another device, right? Right! Maybe. I don’t know.
On the upside, if I really really wanted a new phone, but decided not to open a second line, I do have other options. My phone still holds a decent trade-in value, so there is that. I just don’t know if I’m ready to part with my 4S yet, hence possibly opening a second line somewhere.
This is probably where I need the help of my readers who also carry two or more phones. Do you carry them with you because of work? Maybe you also wanted to be able to upgrade more frequently than every 2 years or so. Let me know why you do (or don’t) carry multiple phones with you in the comments!
