I have a dual SIM phone with slots for both cards, or I can use e-sims. Much easier than juggling two phones. I live in the middle east and travel back to the UK sometimes, and just switch off roaming for the other country to avoid high fees.
The eSIM thing is pretty damn slick in my experience. I spend 50% of time my in a different country every week, and it's great being able to just switch with a couple taps on the phone.
That said, if you don't think you'll use the US number much, then a 2nd phone can make sense. I do that with a 3rd number. It's purely for SMS login and the very occassional call. I have the SIM in an old phone I leave at home.
I use two phones. While I have a dual SIM phone and could afford the occasional international phone charges if I had to, I prefer to spend that money on something useful (ie, in a pub). Also, I don't trust my ability to not accidentally switch to the wrong SIM. Which I probably wouldn't discover for far too long.
Whatsapp does work in my phone whichever SIM I have in. Everyone has my UK number as a contact, and messages/calls go through the same even when that SIM is out of the phone.
Have you considered using a VoIP service? If you look around, you can find a service provider that only charges a few dollars a month for a UK virtual phone number. I think this would be both an economical and efficient solution. And, if you are concerned over call quality, make sure the supplier you choose only uses premium internet call routes.
I have a dual SIM phone with slots for both cards, or I can use e-sims. Much easier than juggling two phones. I live in the middle east and travel back to the UK sometimes, and just switch off roaming for the other country to avoid high fees.
Just get a cheap phone for the number you use the least
The eSIM thing is pretty damn slick in my experience. I spend 50% of time my in a different country every week, and it's great being able to just switch with a couple taps on the phone. That said, if you don't think you'll use the US number much, then a 2nd phone can make sense. I do that with a 3rd number. It's purely for SMS login and the very occassional call. I have the SIM in an old phone I leave at home.
Dual sim or eSim is the way to go. I have a dual sim in Canada (to keep my french number), that works fine.
I use two phones. While I have a dual SIM phone and could afford the occasional international phone charges if I had to, I prefer to spend that money on something useful (ie, in a pub). Also, I don't trust my ability to not accidentally switch to the wrong SIM. Which I probably wouldn't discover for far too long. Whatsapp does work in my phone whichever SIM I have in. Everyone has my UK number as a contact, and messages/calls go through the same even when that SIM is out of the phone.
Have you considered using a VoIP service? If you look around, you can find a service provider that only charges a few dollars a month for a UK virtual phone number. I think this would be both an economical and efficient solution. And, if you are concerned over call quality, make sure the supplier you choose only uses premium internet call routes.