Cellular

Keyword: cellular

Numbers

+1 4126829751 (Pittsburgh PA) – iPhone
Undisclosed (Pittsburgh PA) – Razr

I have 2 phone numbers because I have 2 carriers, and 2 devices. With that being said, there is a reason for this. There are apps that are not available on iOS, and with that said, I needed an Android device if I wanted to access those apps. However, I have a significant preference for iPhones, and with that being said – it made some sense to have 2 phones, and therefore a need for 2 phone services.

On a side note, the iPhone line was my first telephone number. Back in the early 90’s, they didn’t offer number porting, so if you left the area served by your Central Office (where all of the telephone lines go to), then you lost your number. With that in mind, it was pretty interesting that I got the number back a number of years ago. The second number is nothing special, and serves as a solution when I need it.

Carriers

I have 2 carriers (one for each phone). Both companies will be undisclosed, even though I have SIM lock, and porting lock on the accounts. This prevents a scammer from being able to take my telephone number away from me. While these extra precautions are in place, I want to make it not worth the scammer’s time in trying to track down information about me. Again, both accounts have locks in place to prevent my number from being stolen from me. Both carriers uses the T-Mobile network which is fine as they have great coverage in my county.

The carrier for the iPhone gives me unlimited voice, unlimited SMS, and 5GB per month in data. This is more than enough for my needs even though this is likely the primary phone that I will use. Obviously, I have Wifi at home, and use my home’s connection when I am home. While the iPhone can accept dual SIMs, both are eSIM only. This would mean that I could not get a company as a second carrier if they don’t support eSIM.

The carrier for the Razr gives me 3,000 minutes, unlimited SMS, and 4.5GB per month in data. This carrier is a Lifeline carrier, and therefore no additional charge for me to have their account. This however, meant that I still had to buy the phone. I used to have a Google Pixel 3A, but with no more updates, it is a security risk. I was better off with just buying a good quality phone.

Devices

Because of my preference for both OSes having their advantages, and disadvantages, I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max, and as of 2025, it is about 3 years old. I will hope to keep this until at least 2027, or more preferably 2028-29. If I can wait until 2029, then I can buy both new phones at the same time. The Razr is brand new, and Motorola says 4 years, so I am hoping they will keep up with that commitment. If so, I won’t have to buy a new Android phone until likely at 2029.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

  • CPU: Apple A16 Bionic Hexa-core (2×3.46 GHz Everest + 4×2.02 GHz Sawtooth)
  • RAM: 6GB
  • Storage: 128GB
  • Display: 6.7″ with max brightness of 2000 nits and 460ppi
  • Modem: Qualcomm X65 with 5G
  • Wireless Capabilities: Wifi-6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, Qi Charging, Emergency SMS via Satellite
  • Camera: 48MP main + 12MP telephoto + 12MP ultra-wide, 12MP front camera
  • OS: Apple iOS 16.4.1 (Original)
  • Battery: 4323mAh
  • 2 eSIMs: (1 used)

Motorola Razr

  • CPU: MediaTek Dimensity 7400X Octa-core CPU
  • RAM: 8GB
  • Storage: 256GB
  • Display: 6.9″ FHD+ pOLED display. External display 3.6″ pOLED display
  • Modem: 5G modem
  • Wireless Capabilities: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/k/v/r/ax/be, 2.4 GHz | 5 GHz | 6GHz
  • Camera: 32MP front camera. 50 MP, and 13 MP rear cameras
  • OS: Android 15 (Original)
  • Battery: 4500mAh non-removable
  • 2 SIMs: 1 nano-SIM (used), 1 eSIM (available)

Conclusion

My iPhone support iMessage, and both phones supports RCS and SMS. Also, I can make and receive calls, but any international calls will be done with the iPhone. Since the Razr supports a single nano-SIM slot, I can adapt to that carrier’s requirement even though I feel every carrier should support eSIM. However, with the Razr’s carrier a lifeline provider, I am guessing they are assuming that all of their customers will have support for a physical SIM card.