Buying a Mobile Phone

Getting a mobile phone in China is non-trivial, especially if you want support for internet browsing, email, and Chinese translation software, all of which are really useful, especially in this environment.

[edit] Standard Mobile Phone

Mobile phones are for the most part "pay-as-you-go" in China, and there are two major providers, China Unicom and China Mobile. China Mobile is the largest and most popular by far.

You can buy both numbers and minutes at many locations. If you need to buy minutes go to a convenience/grocery store and ask for a "chōng zhí kǎ" or "recharge value card" which come in many denominations. The card has to be the same company as your sim card, so if you have, for example a China Mobile SIM, you cannot use a China Unicom "chōng zhí kǎ". The card will have instructions and a pin on the back in English and Chinese on a number to call to get minutes applied to your number.

If you want to check your balance (and have China Mobile) you need to send a text to 10086 and they will text you your remaining balance.

[edit] China Mobile Data Plan

Go to a China mobile store and request any of the following plans. You will need to bring your passport with you. You can also activate your GPRS service online or through SMS.

[edit] Mobile Phone with Pleco Dict

When traveling and living in China, the your mobile phone takes on new role in day-to-day communications: translating and text messaging. Below is a description of a phone configuration that is useful for common "waiguoren" scenarios.

1. Text Messaging - Handwriting recognition for writing in Chinese characters, full QWERTY keyboard for writing in English and/or pinyin, intelligent pinyin software for writing full words at a time (vs. character by character) and "learning" which words I type frequently (i.e. proper names, etc).
2. PlecoDict - Awesome English-Chinese dictionary software for Palm OS and Pocket PC. A great interface and John DeFrancis' 196,000 entry "ABC" dictionary (also used by Wenlin desktop dictionary software). The Palm OS version is reportedly a bit faster and more stable than Windows.

Q&A Below is courtesy of Bernie Murphy.

• What phone is reccomended?
  • Palm Treo 680 smartphone
• Does it have wifi?
  • No, only GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Bluetooth and IR.
• Can you extend the memory?
  • Yes, it's preloaded with 64MB but has an SD/etc expansion slot for those looking to use it as an MP3 player.
• Where (exactly) did you buy it?
  • Zhongguancun - 鼎好电子商城 (Ding3Hao3 Dian4Zi Shang1Cheng2) - 2nd Floor, Stall #2099 (under a stairwell) - Mr Zhang (cell:13601136076). See also Zhongguancun Electronics Shopping Guide.
• How much did the phone cost?
  • 2520 RMB: Included additional battery, silicon phone case, screen protector, USB cable, power cable w/ international adapters (i.e. UK, Germany, etc).
• How much does the service plan cost? How long is it?
  • China Mobile "ShenZhouXing" pre-pay service plan including 20 RMB/month for 1000 minutes of "free" incoming calls. Call internationally via IP prefix (12593) and request call-back via Skype-provided U.S. number that forwards to my China cell for 2 cents/min.
• Where (exactly) did you get your service plan?
  • Any China Mobile shop.
• Were you able to keep your old number?
  • Yes, China Mobile simply swapped in my old SIM card.

Note: On a recent trip to the U.S. I bought a Red Pocket Mobile SIM card in NYC's China Town. It's a pre-paid system that uses the ATT/Cingular mobile network, provides you with a U.S. phone number, and 10-15 cent SMS / 10-15 cent/min calling to the U.S. *and* China. I paid $25 for the SIM card and $100 for 1,000 mins (10 cents/min -- orders under $100 yield 15 cents/ min), but am told if you order from the 1-800 number the SIM card is free with 1000 minute purchase.

Note: Recommend checking TaoBao ("The Chinese eBay") for latest market prices. Also, many of the Beijing listings are located in Zhongguancun, so if you are looking for something specific, TaoBao can also help you locate a seller for a face-to-face meeting.

China mobile offers a GPRS (data over the cellphone network) for a reasonable price: 88 + 20 per month with 10 + 50M GPRS, no limit free incoming call and 350 minutes free out-going call.

[edit] Mobile Phone with Wifi

Wifi enabled phones are (gasp!) illegal on the mainland (something to do with protecting China Mobile), but that doesn't mean you can't get a great Wifi phone here. There are "smugglers" who have advertising and very legitimate looking offices who are able to get phones from Hong Kong, Japan, Macau and Korea. Here is a contact card for Hailian Zhu, who works at 756A e-World in Zhongguancun (near Zhichun Lu in Beijing).

As for the iPhone, they are available in China, but has the old 1.1.1.1 and you can pretty easily find an unlocked one or get one unlocked. Problem is, you cannot upgrade to the new software versions once it is unlocked. iPhones cost about 25%-50% more in China than they do in the US.

If you are looking to do research on a phone, Younet is a good resource (though only in Chinese). My strategy was going to the Nokia Section and printing out what I wanted and options I wanted as well.

Reccomended Models:

1. Dopod S1 - this has no keyboard
2. dopod c838 - slide out keyboard (Taobao Vendor)
3. HTC Excalibur - has a keyboard, but no touch screen. Both wifi and
4. Nokia e61i - full keypad and wireless capability
5. Blackberry - these are cool devices in general, but be prepared to fork over a lot of money: 398RMB per month with 50M GPRS, 598RMB per month with 400M GPRS(including 2M international traffic). That's on top of the price for the phone. Translated China Mobile Press Release

Some people also go to Ali Baba site and search for the phones and ask for deliver. It's in English.

Other Articles you might be interested in:

1. Computer and Electronics Tips
2. Zhongguancun Electronics Shopping Guide