2 phones, 1 phone number?

[woodynorman]

So I recently picked up an HTC one to replace my iPhone 5s. I love Apple products, but really need a bigger screen on my phone. I frequently need to read websites, PDF's and work related stuff on my phone, and the tiny screen just doesn't cut it.

So far I love the One, and it's big beautiful screen, but do miss the iMessage and Notes integration the most. I use text messages a lot to conduct business, and I miss getting those texts, and the ability to reply, on my iPad and Mac. I use the Notes a lot, and like being able to create/edit a note on my computer or iPad then have it updated on my phone.

I would love to have my iPhone and iMessage/Notes back, and am even considering adding a line to my account for personal use. I would use the new One for that, and keep the iPhone as my business phone. I currently use one phone number for both work and personal, which I really don't mind doing. Plus, probably 75% of the people I do business with have iPhones, so the iMessage thing is a big deal. But I'm just not sure I want the hassle of having two phones...

This is probably a dumb question, but is there any way to have 2 phones on one phone line?

I thought maybe I could forward the iPhone to the HTC one, but that doesn't forward text messages, does it? If it did, that would probably be the ticket I need to get my Apple fix...

Is there any way to get my Apple back, without having two separate lines? Will I hate the hassle of having 2 phones?

Am I just having buyers remorse?... Maybe. I do miss Apples integration across all my devices. I also seem to be more productive on the iPhone, but that may change as I get used to the HTC One.

Should I just stick it out until the iPhone 6 comes out with a bigger screen? I wish they would get off the pot and release the 6 today!

 

[anon(7894520)]

as far as i know, mobile companies cannot / do not assign a phone number to more than one SIM. i could be completely wrong but I've never heard of it.

what you CAN do is forward your calls from one number to another one. So if you are not using your HTC ONE during the day, you can have your calls forwarded to your iPhone.

as for iMessages, obviously that won't happen. You can try Hangouts which has integration with Chrome in your Mac and type from there. It will sync with your phone as well. Of course, that will imply your business associates contacting you on Hangouts and not on iMessage.


As for notes, did you try Google Keep? https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...ils?id=com.google.android.keep&token=q-9zaV3n

you can install the app on your HTC ONE *and* the Chrome extension for your Mac. It will even create an icon on your Mac for easy access. It will sync across, of course.


There is another less fancy option which is Gmail Notes. You can create a Gmail filter on your Gmail settings whereby when you send an email to xxx(your name)-notes@gmail.com you will receive that note in your Gmail app or the Gmail site.

 

[woodynorman]

Someone in another thread mentioned Airdroid as an alternative to iMessage. Sure enough, I can send and receive texts from my iPad and Mac. This might be just what I need to keep me on the HTC One!

 

[anon(7894520)]

i am also new to android phones. i've used the iphone for quite a while.


in this time ive learnt that you can do just about everything if not even more with an android device that you could do with an iphone. the flexibility of the android platform gives you the liberty to customise and do more than with the iphone.

the problem is people are too comfortable. apple takes advantage of this by selling a product that includes itunes and all their ecosystem options and easy to find and set up options.



in android, you've got to go looking for them - especially if you want to sync with macs and other apple products.


many can't be bothered with this, and many are oblivious to the fact so they stick with apple and their tyrannical dictatorship.


of course, imessage is the exception. if you have a network of people who have gotten used to contact you through this app there is no substitute in android. there is hangouts but its a different beast altogether.

 

[Pavr27]

Another advantage of Apple, other than iMessage, that I have found no satisfactory android alternative, is Airplay.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[TWC42]

After convincing my wife to switch from her iPhone 5 to the HTC One Mini (she didn't want anything bigger), she was having problems receiving tests, as we were unaware of the foibles of iMessage. According to the article below, we were supposed to turn off iMessage on the iPhone and send out regular texts to our iPhone contacts to indicate that we were not using iMessage any longer. Nothing about that was mentioned in the store when we made the switch.
Issues with texts after moving to Android from iPhone? Here's an easy fix! | Android Central
And according to the article written in Jan 2014, if we did not inform our iPhoney contacts of the switch, we would have to contact a live person at Apple support and have them remove our number from the iMessage system:
If you've already made the switch and are still suffering
If this is you, then the fix is less techy. Grab your phone and ring Apple support – check your local Apple website for the number in your part of the world. Get put through to Technical Support, have your Apple ID handy, and ask them to manually remove your phone number from the iMessage servers.
If "woodynorman" plans to switch back and forth between the iPhone and the HTC One, he may miss iMessages or at least not receive them on a timely basis.
iThink this is a screwup on Apple's part that the iMessage system assumes that once a phone number is assigned to an iPhone, it is always an iPhone.
It's a major flaw that one can't swap SIM cards back and forth between an iPhone and an Android without worrying about missing text messages.
For the two of us, we have unlimited texting and the smallest data plan. It's my understanding that iMessages use data. While pure text uses an insignificant amount of data, pictures and short videos can use up a chunk. It adds up. Why use data when texting is free?
Until Apple comes up with a better way to recognize immediately that a phone number is assigned to an iPhone or not, iMessage is unreliable for both the sender and the recipient.
Edit: found a thread on an Apple message board where one poster claimed and a second poster verified it worked, that if one signs into "iforgot" ( I think it's iforgot.apple.com) and resets the password, the iMessage link is reset (turned off). I did that, but haven't tested it myself.

 

[woodynorman]

Funny that you mention the iMessage problems. I'm almost 2 weeks into owning the HTC One, and I still have a couple customers who's phones think they are sending me an iMessage. Those texts aren't going through.

I turned off iMessage before activating the new phone, and even removed my phone number from Apple's website, but I'm still having problems. Frustrating! I will be calling Apple

 

[TWC42]

.....I turned off iMessage before activating the new phone, and even removed my phone number from Apple's website, but I'm still having problems. Frustrating! I will be calling Apple

.. Apple Support (in US 800-694-7466).
As I mentioned in the thread above, in a thread on an Apple forum, one poster claimed that changing your password on your Apple ID would reset the iMessage for the iPhone associated with your account to off. Another poster claimed it worked. I tried it yesterday morning.
In the evening after testing and a sender with an iPhone got a "not delivered" response to his text, I called Apple. Rep stated that the number was "challenged" (whatever that means) and that the problem should go away in 24 hours. She asked if I had contacted Apple previously, which I hadn't, so perhaps that password change works.
You could also incorporate a temporary signature in your texts with the admonition "Do not reply via iMessage".
Funny how a problem created by Apple, unresolved for years, has become a problem for those who have escaped their clutches.
It's also a problem for iMessage users who can't be 100% sure their texts are being received.
iNcompetent. iNsane. iNfuriating!

 

[Cozume]

I use text messages a lot to conduct business, and I miss getting those texts, and the ability to reply, on my iPad and Mac.

The Moto X and Droid Maxx can do that. It is a feature called Motorola Connect. Droid Maxx has a 5" screen and a killer battery but is only on Verizon being a Droid. Moto X has a 4.7" screen and great battery life and ergonomics.

I use the Notes a lot, and like being able to create/edit a note on my computer or iPad then have it updated on my phone.

I wouldn't be surprised if that functionality will be coming soon to Motorola Connect.

 

[Cozume]

As for notes, did you try Google Keep? https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...ils?id=com.google.android.keep&token=NBbn24Gi

OK then Google Keep + Motorola Connect should give the OP all the functionality he needs but he would need to get a Moto X or if on Verizon a Moto X or a Droid Maxx.

There is another less fancy option which is Gmail Notes. You can create a Gmail filter on your Gmail settings whereby when you send an email to xxx(your name)-notes@gmail.com you will receive that note in your Gmail app or the Gmail site.

And on the Moto X, you can use touchless controls to create the note without even touching your phone. You just say "OK Google Now Note to Self" then speak the contents of the note and it creates an email to yourself in your Gmail account.

 

[anon(7894520)]

OK then Google Keep + Motorola Connect should give the OP all the functionality he needs but he would need to get a Moto X or if on Verizon a Moto X or a Droid Maxx.


And on the Moto X, you can use touchless controls to create the note without even touching your phone. You just say "OK Google Now Note to Self" then speak the contents of the note and it creates an email to yourself in your Gmail account.

the OP has an HTC ONE - not a moto X.



we are all very happy the moto x and the motorola connect are working out for you but spare us the motorola spin. the OP clearly has good taste and wants premium products.

 

[Cozume]

the OP has an HTC ONE - not a moto X.

Well if he wants this functionality without going back to Apple, he should get a Moto X. They are on sale right now off contract for $330 for 16GB and $380 for 32GB and with the code that is floating around, you can get them for $300/$350. $325/$375 with a wood back!!!! He can sell his HTC ONE to recoup some of the cost of his new Moto X.

we are all very happy the moto x and the motorola connect are working out for you but spare us the motorola spin. the OP clearly has good taste and wants premium products.

How's this for good taste and a premium product?




And this is my premium case to hold my premium wood backed phone in so it doesn't get scratched!

 

[anon(7894520)]

And this is my premium case to hold my premium wood backed phone in so it doesn't get scratched!

View attachment 103011

that case does look nice.


does it come in black?

 

[hatchex]

Maybe get Google voice app on the phones and if you have to,
pay to convert your current number as the gv number. So both phones will ring when the number is called.

Idk if you already fixed it or not.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk now Free

 

[Cozume]

that case does look nice.


does it come in black?

yes but for the HTC One they only seem to make the wallet in brown and not a sleeve:

Durables | DODOcase

You can ask if they can make a sleeve for the HTC One in black.

https://dodocase.zendesk.com/anonymous_requests/new


Sena Case has a nice sleeve for the HTC One in black:

HTC One - UltraSlim

 

[Cozume]

pay to convert your current number as the gv number. So both phones will ring when the number is called.

What does this mean?

 

[hatchex]

What does this mean?

Sorry for the late reply. But uh, basically you can have the phone number your carrier gave you and use that as your new Google voice number. But there is a fee to do that. I'm no expert on Google voice though haha

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk now Free

 

[woodynorman]

Thanks for all the replies.

I ended up getting another phone line for personal use. The HTC One is my personal phone, and I'm using my iPhone 5S as my work phone. Ive found that I'm just way more productive on the iphone with the Apple ecosystem.

I plan on keeping the One until the iPhone6 comes out. Then I will own 2 iPhones

 

[anon(7894520)]

its not easy when apple insists on not putting any of their apps in the play store, unlike google does in the app store.


i know imessage is a big deal to many people.



still, for me, any productivity challenges associated of using an android device with a mac are more than made up with the android keyboard. just thinking about going back to taking 5 minutes to type a word in the iphone's dinosaur keyboard the matter is solved for me.

 

[woodynorman]

Ive had my One for a month, and i still can't type as fast or accurate as with my iPhone.