# Using a phone in China: will an old Nokia work? Or a smartphone?



## editor (Jan 23, 2012)

A friend of mine is going to China for two weeks and wants to know if her mobile will work and if there's anything she should know about connecting there.

She probably won't be using a smartphone (although I've offered to loan her my old HTC Desire) but I've no idea about their networks or costs.

She'll probably just want to be able to send text messages and make a few calls back to Blighty. Any tips?


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## bi0boy (Jan 23, 2012)

It will be expensive if she uses her current SIM. Maybe get one from Truphone just for travelling? If she won't be using data (which will be pricey on anything other than a Chinse SIM) then there's no point having a smartphone unless she wants to make use of the non-networked functions.


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## temper_tantrum (Jan 23, 2012)

Oh! This is relevant to my interests. Thanks ed.

How easy is it to buy a Chinese SIM once you get to China? Can you buy a SIM for an iPhone, or should I just take my old Motorola?


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## editor (Jan 23, 2012)

She should be able to get wi-fi access so there's maybe a case for a smartphone.

Spotted a roaming comparison chart here: http://www.roamingsims.com/country/China.php


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## editor (Jan 23, 2012)

temper_tantrum said:


> How easy is it to buy a Chinese SIM once you get to China? Can you buy a SIM for an iPhone, or should I just take my old Motorola?


Your iPhone is probably network locked to a carrier, so you'll have to unlock it first.
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1168689


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## temper_tantrum (Jan 23, 2012)

Cheers ed but argh, unlocking = confusing.
Would I be able to buy a sim card for my old Motorola instead? I just want to be able to exchange texts with people occasionally while I'm out there.


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## maomao (Jan 23, 2012)

SIMs are sold unconnected to phones in China so as long as the phone is unlocked it should be easy enough. It always used to be the case that you could get a SIM very cheap or even free if it was a number with lot of fours in it, or ending in a 4. '4' sounds a bit like 'to die' in Chinese so they're not keen on that.


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## elfman (Jan 23, 2012)

When I  I first came here I had no problem just using my existing phone and sticking a SIM in it. It was already unlocked though. You can just go to a phone shop and they have these machines that let you buy them. I had someone helping me buy it at the time but iirc (I'm not entirely sure though) there was an English option on the machine to make it easier to buy what you wanted.


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## editor (Jan 23, 2012)

maomao said:


> SIMs are sold unconnected to phones in China so as long as the phone is unlocked it should be easy enough. It always used to be the case that you could get a SIM very cheap or even free if it was a number with lot of fours in it, or ending in a 4. '4' sounds a bit like 'to die' in Chinese so they're not keen on that.


That four thing is the same in Japan:



> Hold on…where’s the LX4?
> 
> The sharp eyed amongst you may be wondering what happened to the LX4, which surely should follow the LX3 as the next release.
> 
> ...


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## Idaho (Jan 23, 2012)

If you are going with a UK mobile - just make sure you turn off data roaming. I just got a bill for £120 for 15MB of data I used in Japan.


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## Idaho (Jan 23, 2012)

The Japanese don't really like 9 either, as it sounds like strangle/throttle.


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## Fingers (Jan 23, 2012)

I had no problems buying a SIM in China, just rock up to to one of the many phone shops. I got a basic PAYG Nokia for £20 with sim included..


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## ymu (Jan 23, 2012)

If she uses a UK contract SIM and anyone calls her from Blighty, she'll get stung for the international component of the call. (If she has a Chinese SIM, they'll get stung for it.) If she wants to use her own SIM and gets a lot of calls from people who won't know not to call, she might want to keep the phone switched off most of the time. She should change her voicemail message to tell them not to leave voice messages too - that costs a fortune also.


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## editor (Feb 13, 2012)

Interesting piece about the precautions a US business guy takes before visiting China:


> He leaves his cellphone and laptop at home and instead brings “loaner” devices, which he erases before he leaves the United States and wipes clean the minute he returns.
> 
> In China, he disables Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, never lets his phone out of his sight and, in meetings, not only turns off his phone but also removes the battery, for fear his microphone could be turned on remotely.
> 
> ...


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## Pingu (Feb 13, 2012)

sounds like a guy i once knew who insisted on having meetings in rooms with no windows just in case someone bounced a listening device off them. When tbh, and seeing as this was in the former E germany the likelyhood of there being listening devices in the plaster was much higher.

the meetings were kinda fun thouhg with code words used for certain terms. all very james bond and yet probably fooled no one at all if anyone was actually listening in


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