Cell Phone Usage in China
 

I'm confused about cell phones in China. At first Verizon told me mine won't work in China and that I would need to rent a Global rental phone. Then I called them again and they say my cell phone will work. I have a flip phone, LGX6100 which is a trimode and all digital. They say if there is a CDMA network, my phones will work. The charge is 69 cents/min, which doesn't seem bad at all. However, I was told China could add service charges of which Verizon has no idea how much that would be. Does anyone know how much these charges are imposed by China? Don't want any big surprises. (:
Thanks!

China, like most of the world, uses GSM, not CDMA. So, forget about using your phone in China.

Plus, the GSM rate that Verizon charges for most countries in the world is $1.29, not 69 cents. That's actually pretty good for China, as T-Mobile USA charges more than that. But again, you'll need a GSM phone first.

Look in your booklet that came with your phone. If it's a "world phone" it may work. Some phones will work on only one frequency, some on three and some on all four, like mine. You need to know which frequencies your will work on. If your phone will work on GSM at 900 MHz (the frequency China uses), it should work. You will probably have to activate international roaming with Verizon as well.

I can't give a definitive answer, I'm sorry, but - does your phone's user manual tell you what 3 bands it handles? CDMA is a mobile (cellphone) technology more common in North America than elsewherem and from memory in the US cellphone networks use the 850 and/or 1900 Megahertz bands. By far the most common technology used outside the US however is GSM, which usually works on 900/1800 MHz. I believe there are some GSM networks in the US also. My Australian GSM phone certainly worked in China, but I'm not confident that a CDMA phone would.

Another wrinkle is that from reading other posts it appears common practice for US operators to "lock" your phone so that it can be used only on their networks. This would prevent you buying a SIM (subscriber identity module) card with prepaid usage in China and inserting it into phone, the cheapest option.

Personally, I'd want a more authoritative assurance on this than you seem to have from Verizon, whose advice sounds vague and contradictory. I always get nervous when two calls to a company produce two different answers, and I suspect that the first answer may be the correct one.

There are some helpful posts on this recurrent problem for American travellers on the Europe forum, if you want to run a search there.

Interesting...the two Verizon folks I talked to TODAY both said my phone would work. I did add International roaming onto my phones. That latest rep checked the cities I will be travelling and said Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou all had CDMA capabilities, while Xian did not. I guess I need to investigate further. When I asked the first rep about unlocking the phone (since I read that in some of your posts) she said that is for a SIM card (as Neil said) but she said that is for a PDA, not a cell phone. That wasn't my understanding.
So, the consensus is I should rent a global phone? Just trying to save a little on expenses. I need to find my manual.

CDMA technology is available in certain markets in China, but I don't believe its use is nearly as prevalent as GSM 900 (which your phone model doesn't have). I've never tried using a CDMA phone there so have no personal experience to offer in terms of coverage, reception, etc. How critical is it that you have cellular service? If it's critical, then I would go with a GSM 900 phone (whether you rent or buy). If not, try the CDMA service and report back to us on how well it worked, be the guinea pig! ;)

I have some relatives in a nursing home, so cell would stictly be for emergency use. I would be checking in myself via landline phone often. So, not sure what cell to use.

If your phone is tri-band it will work here. My husband's phone works here, the US, Europe, Australia, all over Asia.

The only concern is cost. if your company pays your bills or you can voucher them as business expenses while on the trip, just let the roaming charge add up.

You can buy a SIM card at the BJ airport (about $12) and insert it into any phone that accepts SIM CARDS and buy top up cards for your trip here if you want it for making cheap local calls. This is available before immigration, and last night there was someone there just for our (delayed from rain) plane at 10:30PM.

but if you want it for making/receiving calls from the US, and for convenience of people knowing your number for a short trip, just pay the huge roaming fees.

PS
and for what they'd probably charge you to rent the global phone, you could buy a low end Nokia phone here (about $90)

I did some searching and it appears that China Unicom is the only provider using CDMA technology in China and they operate on 900/1800 frequencies. The specs of the LG VX6100 say that it's CDMA 800/1900, so the frequencies aren't compatible. I know very little about CDMA technology but assume like GSM, the frequencies have to match so it would seem that your phone won't work afterall even though CDMA does exist in China.

Wow thanks everyone for your info!! BChen-this trip is for pleasure, so all the phone costs I will have to pay. My phone doesn't take SIM cards. Verizon's "package" is $3.99/day to rent the phone, $25 to deliver it, $2.49/min to send or receive calls with $300 deposit. So, it's about $81 to rent the phone for 2 weeks plus usage charges. Do you have any idea how much the roaming charges will be?

Patty-thanks for researching for me!! That pretty much seems like I have to rent a phone. Darn, I was hoping to save some money.


Another company rents phones at www.globalphoneworks.com for first week free rental, then $30/week for the phone, $8/day if not full week. $25 to ship. Their rate is 1.99/min incoming and 3.39/min outgoing calls with $100 deposit.

All depends on how much usage the cell will get as to which is the better deal. Verizon shows their coverage on the net and it appears to be pretty good.

Thanks for all the info!!

Unless you need to be reached by a US number, it's probably a lot more economical to buy an unlocked tri-band GSM phone on ebay, and then buy the local Chinese SIM card. Total start up cost is <$100, and you have a phone that you can keep for future use overseas, or you can sell it back on ebay. The per minute cost with a local Chinese SIM is a fraction of the rates with a US-based account or a rental program.

If I've understood LostinChina correctly she only needs a cell phone to allow emergency contact from home, so per-minute roaming charges shouldn't be a problem.

Despite this, the idea of buying an el-cheapo Nokia phone in China, or an unlocked tri-band phone on eBay, is a good one. You could buy a local prepaid SIM card covering a modest amount of outgoing calls, and if you like, a landline phone card that could be used from a hotel or payphone. Use that to call the rels back home and tell them what your new Chinese cellphone number is.

BTW, from memory CDMA cells provide wider coverage than GSM, and I think also potentially greater bandwidth for data calls. CDMA is used here in Australia to extend coverage to thinly-populated rural areas, but GSM is still the norm.

OK, rkkwan and Neil peaked my interest in buying a cheapo phone. I have never bought anything on eBay, so have no idea what I'm doing. I did search for an international phone and saw a Nokia GSM Intl cell phone +roaming SIM card for $49. That seems like a great deal. I was warned by one of the phone companies to make sure the phone is good in CHINA since many don't. I don't need a company like Verizon giving me service for this phone while in China, like a monthly service fee? Where do I buy SIM cards? Do I need a new one for each city I travel in? This seems like a great idea. However, as you can tell, I'm clueless on how everything works.
I will have to investigate "how to" on eBay.
Thanks!

BChen mentioned in his reply that you can get a SIM card at the Beijing airport for around US$12. I don't have 1st hand experience, but I know that cellular stores are everywhere in China - big cities or small. [For example, if you cross into China from Hong Kong or Macau, the first dozens of stores you'll see all sell SIM card.]

And once again, if you decide to buy a phone, ebay or otherwise, the 4 keywords you need to see are:

- Unlock (or Unlocked)
- GSM
- 900
- 1800

As long as the description has all 4 words, you are fine. It will work.

Some posters on the Europe board have ordered the free used rental phone that's currently being offered by Mobal Rental (the phone is yours to keep) -

http://www.mobalrental.com/sale/

It seems like a good deal, you pay only the $10 shipping fee. If you're looking for the cheapest possible solution, I think this is it.

The free Nokia 5110 is 900 MHz only, but that shouldn't be a problem in China. Included with the phone is a Mobal SIM (with UK based number) and it states that the phone is locked. Nokia's are supposedly very easy to unlock with a code (no data cable required). Try a google search for 'Nokia 5110 unlock'. Once you get it unlocked, you can purchase a prepaid SIM card when you arrive in China to replace the included Mobal SIM for lower per minute rates.

If you're really only planning to receive incoming calls for emergency purposes, you could even consider using the included Mobal SIM (then no unlocking required). The cost of receiving incoming calls using the Mobal SIM in China is $1.75 per minute (the cost of making outgoing calls in China to the US/Canada is $2.95 per minute). Also with the Mobal SIM, you don't need to prepay for your minutes.
Any calls you make/receive are billed to your credit card, so no risk of buying minutes you never use.

Just remember that anyone calling you will be dialing an international number (UK if you use the Mobal SIM, China if you purchase a prepaid SIM there) so they'd have to pay whatever long distance charges are on their end.

Thanks for the info rkkwan and Patty.
Patty-wow your free phone seems like a great deal with only $10 shipping fee. How do I get service for it though? I need to read up on your web site. I printed out the manual for it. Thanks for the info. Certainly worth looking into. I guess if we do get a cell phone, we will end up using it more than we planned simply due to the convenience and our not being in the hotel much at all.

Thanks!!

I did the search for unlocking the phone. There appears to be a small charge and then they give you a code.

I skimmed the posts at the Europe site. The ones I read, esp by xyz123 seem to refer to the Mobal phone they bought for $49. I didn't find any posts regarding getting the free phone. Am I missing it or looking in the wrong place, Patty?

Thanks!

Try this thread -

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34609239

Someone reported that the Nokia 5110 they received was already unlocked, so check before you pay for the unlock code. Once unlocked, you can purchase a SIM on arrival in China. You can also use the included Mobal SIM but at higher per minute costs.

I have used my T Mobile phone (a very ordinary Samsung r225m) in China, India, Thailand, Spain and UK. I never need to worry about sim cards--as soon as we land, I am able to call on it. The most out-of-the-way place I used it was Darjeeling, India--no problems! Their International per-minute rates are listed on their web site.

Ok, I called the Mobal folks and got some info. They are out of the free phone right now. He suggested a Chinese phone Nokia 3410 for $59. Only can be used in China, works on both frequencies 900 and 1800. Comes unlocked, with SIM card. Rates are pretty good: 95 cents/min for China to US, 25 cents/ min from US to China.
Anyone have experience with this phone?

$59 isn't a bad price for an unlocked 900/1800 phone with Chinese SIM card included, and probably about what you would pay if you bought an unlocked phone on ebay and then purchased a SIM in China. So for convenience factor, I think I'd go with the Mobal option.

The rate to call the US from China sounds about right. What they mean by incoming calls ($0.25/min) are calls you receive while you're in China (incoming calls aren't free in China even with a local SIM, unlike some other countries), not calling from US to China. National calls ($0.40/min) mean any outgoing calls you make while in China to numbers within China.
Those last 2 rates sound a bit high but not too bad especially if you're not going to be using the phone excessively. Since Mobal is billing your credit card for the calls, you won't need to buy top up cards while you're in China or worry about prepaying for more value than you need. You're paying a tad more in per minute rates for all of this convenience.

Of course, since the phone comes unlocked, you can always choose to purchase another SIM after you arrive in China and not use the included SIM. There probably wouldn't be much advantage though unless you're going to be making a lot of calls.

Your Nokia 3410 will be good for future trips in any country that operates on GSM 900/1800, not just for this one trip to China. What they mean by only works in China is that they're only providing you with the Chinese SIM. You can take this same phone to France, buy a local SIM card and use it there.

Hope this helps.

LostinChina: I've been over the same route you are on now, only a few years earlier.

The basic problem is that the US tends to go on a different system than the rest of the world, AND US phone companies "lock" their phones.

For me, "unlocking" meant a big surcharge, or else sending my phone to some whiz kid in some other state to get it "unlocked". Neither solution was feasible.

I ended up buying an unlocked triband phone in the US with a one year service with a US cell phone company. To get this phone I had to go to Los Angeles, since nothing was available here in the Bay Area.

I'd suggest the following: buy a cell phone in China. If you are going through Hong Kong, you can easily communicate with people in English and get one there. Used cell phones are dirt cheap in China. Most people who can afford (and some who can't) opt for the newest technology, so this means there are a lot of older model phones readily available.

If you are not going through Hong Kong, you can still get a cheap phone in other big cities in China.

A SIM card, if you don't know already, is just a small chip, thumbnail size, that fits in a slot inside the phone. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to put a SIM card into a phone. It's really easy. You can get SIM cards all over the place. Just be sure you don't drop the card when you are inserting it or you may need a magnifying glass to find it again - LOL! Just kidding!

In sum, buy a phone in China - $25 will probably get you "used" technology that hasn't reached the US yet. $10 and you can get a very good functional phone. Then buy a SIM card and insert it or have the merchant insert it for you. And away you go!

Much cheaper than what the US phone companies have to offer. US phone company rates are exorbitant for your purposes.

Just my two cents. :)

Oh, BTW, keep the phone. You can use it almost anywhere else in the world, except the US (unless it's triband). Just buy a different SIM card for another country.

Oh, another thing, forget the tech talk of GSM, CDMA, or TDMA. GSM is what everyone else goes on and it's the one you should remember. (I'm not going to go into the business wars over cell phone technology). The only truly significant thing as far as you're concerned is the bandwidth, which, as Neil_Oz has correctly indicated, is 900/1800 for most of the world. These are the "channels" that you will be using on the bandwidth spectrum. If you phone doesn't work on those bandwidths, then it's a nonfunctional phone as far as you're concerned.

Patty and easytraveler,
Thanks for all the info. I am not going thru HK unfortunately and would like to have as much done here in the states as possible where I won't have the language problem. Plus since we are on a tour, our time is not our own. I'm probably getting ripped like easytraveler said, but might want to purchase here in the US. Now according to the Mobal rep he said receiving calls from the US to China would be 25 cents/min. Maybe he misunderstood me since Patty thinks that's wrong. I might call again. The other thing he told me is this phone is ONLY good for in China, not other places taking GSM phones. I'm not sure why, but he did tell me that a few times. 2 weeks to deliver and shipping is free. No warranty on phone.

Mobal isn't open anymore right now. I did check the web site at:

http://www.mobalrental.com/china/?so...006DN07NMOBWEB

It does say incoming calls are 25 cents/min, but doesn't say where those calls originate.

If I bought SIM cards within China, what would the rates be to call and receive calls from the US? Lot cheaper than the one that comes with the phone?

Ok, I just reread Patty's post. Sorry I missed her explanation of why they said the phone can only be used in China. I was thinking the same thing about the SIM card, but I wasn't sure. Now she confirmed it. Certainly renting a phone doesn't sound like a good deal anymore, at least from the 2 companies I was looking at. The pandaphone looks very cheap though.

Ask yourself again, do you really need a phone in China on this trip, especially if you're on a tour?

Your local tour guide will have a phone, and usually they don't mind giving you the number for real emergencies. I know you mentioned about relatives in a nursing home. Now, do you really need to know? What if they call you - are you going to abandon the tour and fly home? Can you really do something about that?

rkkwan,
I hear ya, you make good points! (: However since I'm the caregiver, they might just want to ask me questions, so I need to be available. And if it is a true emergency, I would need to abandon the trip and go home. I guess the more and more I look into cell phones, the more I think I will use it more than I think. So I'm trying to get a decent rate. I bought cheap phone cards so they can contact me, but they need to have a phone number they can call to reach me. I'm guessing we'll rarely be in the hotel.

LostinChina,
Sorry I misread your earlier post. If the rep said it's $0.25/min to receive calls from the US while you're in China, that's correct. I misinterpreted your post as you calling from the US to China. Actually it's $0.25/min to receive incoming calls regardless of where those calls originate (that's why the Mobal website doesn't mention anything about where calls originate).

I don't know the exact per minute rates of prepaid SIM's purchased in China. However, I think $1/min sounds about right for calling to the US. Receiving incoming calls should be less than $0.25/min. Some prepaid SIM's operate on 2 rate schedules - one rate while you're physically in the region where you purchased the SIM and another rate while you're traveling elsewhere in China (considered roaming), i.e. if I purchase a SIM in Shanghai, I pay one rate while I'm in Shanghai, when I travel to another city, I pay a slightly higher rate. Others operate on 1 rate schedule throughout the country, so understand there are differences (similar to how cellular providers here offer regional or nationwide plans).

You can compare rates when you get there and decide if you want to purchase another SIM. Your tour guide may be able to help you translate. If you purchase a SIM there, you'll need to give out your new phone number to those that might need to reach you.

Thanks, Patty, very helpful info. So, 25 cent/min for incoming calls is not bad if they call me using their cheap phone card. That may be a way to go. I hope to look into the SIM card while there. So each city I go to, I may need to change a SIM card and everytime I change a SIM card, I change the cell number, right? Are the SIM cards pre-paid, so I have to "guess" how much I will talk and make sure to use it up before I leave the city? Or pay the higher rate in another city? While on the call, will there be some indication of how many minutes I have remaining on the SIM card?

Thanks!

The charges outside the "home" area is only slightly higher. Therefore, you only need one SIM card in China.

There are ways to check your remaining credits, by calling some certain numbers. That'd most likely be in Mandarin only, but your tour guide or a hotel concierge can be able to help you with that, as well as ways to add credits to the card.

Great, well it sounds like getting this $59 Nokia 3410 might be the way to go then, right? I will just keep the same SIM card and thus the same number. If there is a much better deal in China, will switch there.

Thanks!

I think that $59 Nokia is a good option for you. If you choose to purchase another SIM there, you don't need a different one in each city. The rate variance is minimal and I believe only applies to incoming and domestic outgoing calls. I just wanted you to know that there's a difference. You'll be prepaying for a certain value and can purchase top up cards in various amounts if you need more. The cost of the calls gets deducted as you make calls. There's a number that you can dial that tells you your remaining value, but I can't remember if there's an English language option.

Thanks, Patty!

here are a couple of websites which I used to do my research on cell phones:

mobileburn.com

howardchui.com

Most of the phone company or cell phone sellers (like Good Guys, etc.) were of absolutely no help - as you are finding out. At the time I was buying my phone, 90% didn't know what a triband phone was!

Good luck! You'll be well connected in China! :)

Speaking of Mobal, I ordered a used Nokia 5110 a few days ago for a cousin of mine. I guess I got one of their last, as the sale went through and I just got a shipping confirmation today.

It'll come with a SIM (which I don't care), and they already email me the number of the phone. It's a UK number with country code "44".

Total cost $10, for shipping.

Ok, I ordered the Nokia 3410, will see how it works. It seems like a decent deal. Thanks for the tip on this site, Patty!
Rkkwan,
You must have been one of the lucky ones. I called yesterday and they said they had run out. They did say more were coming in, didn't know when.

You can rent a cell phone in China through the following site:

http://www.95wireless.com

They cater to tourists and travelers and have an English speaking customer service hotline open 24 hours a day.

rkkwan, this might be stating the bleeding obvious, but the UK number is embedded in the SIM card, which of course you'll throw out (unless you're planning on visiting the UK and it has some prepaid credit on it). I own a Nokia 5110 and it now looks so clunky that when I took it to China small children in the streets pointed and laughed.