Take two mobes into the shower? I didn't before, but I do now

First Look A Kickstarter project to produce a dual-SIM iPhone is really a separate phone which the iPhone connects to via Bluetooth.

The Kickstarter campaign for the 'PIECE' claims it will “Change The Way You Use Smart Phones”.

It goes on: “Carrying two phones isnconvenient! [sic] It is not fashionable or stylish; it costs a lot and is a waste of space.” The solution – rather than carry two phones, carry one phone and this gizmo.

This cuts down the number of devices you need to carry by a total of zero. That said, this thingy is a lot smaller than an iPhone, because it doesn’t have a screen or any of the functionality of a smartphone. The campaign claims that the device allows you to attach a second SIM to your iPhone.

What you are actually doing is attaching a separate GSM phone to your iPhone, like a Mi-Fi for voice.

Alex Ng, the project manager at Smartgears Global, told The Register that “PIECE is a GSM and Bluetooth module. It connects to your phone by Bluetooth 4.0. Once you have inserted a SIM into PIECE you can answer and make phone calls on your primary phone."

Because the module is GSM, there is no support for 3G, 4G or any kind of data when you use your second SIM. It’s not suitable for the common dual-SIM solution of having a local SIM for roaming.

All control of the module is through an iPhone app. Calls made through the second SIM are through the PIECE app; calls from the main SIM are made in the standard way.

The idea is that because the gizmo can fit in your wallet, you can ignore the fact that it is there. It has some interesting extra features such as using the module as a remote control for taking selfies and a tether so that if your wallet and phone are separated by more than 15m, the phone beeps.

You can press a button on the module to make the phone ring and in the app to make the PIECE beep.

There may well also be an Android version, but you have to wonder why, if someone wants a dual-SIM Android phone, they don’t just buy one. ®