rkkwan,
I read your post and immediately looked at the site. I did go ahead and buy it since you are so knowledgeable about China and have been so helpful to notify me about these phones. Thanks!! I gotta say, I'm not too sure what I bought. You know, obviously, that it will work in China, right? Does it come with a charger that has a plug that will work in China or the US? Do you like the Motorola brand?

Now, what do I do with it once i'm in China? Do I buy a SIM card and put it in and then I can call and receive calls? I DON'T need to sign up with any carrier in China?

Can I buy a SIM card here in the US?

Do I buy just one SIM card and that's good for my whole stay even though I change cities? Or do I have to buy a new one for each new city?

Thanks for your tips.

If a buy a SIM card to try it out here in the US, do I need to sign up with a carrier?

Thanks for the tip!!

Once you get your phone, check the voltage on the charger. I am almost certain it's 100-240V, so you don't need to worry. [China uses 220V, US 110V.]

I look at the pictures on the Tigerdirect site. It looks like the charger has US-style two flat prongs. Most hotels in China have electricity socket that accepts those, so you don't even need an adapter. [Hong Kong uses the UK-style plug with three huge square prongs.]

They say the phone is unlocked, and it's a reputable site, so there's no reason to doubt it. If you want to make sure, just ask someone who uses T-Mobile or Cingular - there must be plenty people you know who do, I use T-Mobile myself - to lend you their SIM card for 2 minutes. Put that in your phone, and you should be able to dial out immediately using that T-Mobile/Cingular user's plan and number.

Unless you need to know your phone number in China before you depart your trip, otherwise, buy there. If you buy one here, it's going to cost you more. Only advantage is that you can tell others your Chinese number before you go.

Most people over in China uses one of two cellular carriers - China Mobile and China Unicom. Each have several SIM card plan. I'm not an expert, but I notice that all of my relatives from Hong Kong use the same SIM while in China - <b>Shenzhouxing</b> from China Mobile. You get a Chinese number and the rates are the same wherever you are in China. Coverage is excellent. I was in remote SW Yunnan where some villages just got electricity, but cellular reception was superb.

rkkwan,
Thanks for your prompt response. So I buy one SIM card and use it all over China, don't have to keep rebuying.

If I find someone with T-Mobile or Cingular and use their SIM card for one call, does that charge anything to the person I'm borrowing it from?

Where to I buy these SIM cards in China? At the airport at kiosks?

Thanks so much for telling me about this deal. I bought it immediately since I was afraid they would run out.

When you borrow a SIM from someone and put in to your phone, all you've done is simply transferring the account to your phone. If the phone shows &quot;Cingular&quot; or &quot;T-Mobile&quot; on the screen, you're all set.

If you decide to make a call, then it's just like your friend making a call on his/her own phone. The charge depends on his/her plan. No difference than calling from his/her own phone.

The idea of the SIM system is that all the phones (assuming they're not locked and have the correct frequencies) are interchangeable. The plan and number and charge all goes with the SIM, not the phone.

I can't tell you exact location to buy the SIM in China, but I seem to see them everywhere. Convenient stores, and lots of cellular stores on all major streets and shopping areas. For example, if one crosses from Macau to Zhuhai in China, once you get down to the subterranean shopping concourse on the other side of the border, you'll find dozens, if not over 100 different cellular stores selling phones and SIM card.

I couldn't remember which city you are starting from, as rkkwan said, any convenience store or celular store near your hotel will sell the SIM card, just don't buy it from a street vendor. The cheapest are sold at post offices, it may not be worth your time to sought out P.O.s to save a few yuan.

Thanks, I gotta get used to this new system of SIM cards. I guess your warning about street vendors means the SIM cards they sell may not work??

Thanks for the info in where to buy the SIM cards. I just hope I can communicate well enough to let them know what I want.

Rkkwan,
Now I understand what you mean about trying it out with someone who has Cingular or T Mobile. Thanks!

Yep, can't trust street vendors with SIM cards. At the stores, just point to your phone and say &quot;c-a-r&quot; without rolling the &quot;r&quot;, the chinese pronunciation for card.

Shanghainese-thsnks for the info.

I was talking to a Motorola salesman to find out more about the phone. He tells me there are tri and quad band phones out there. I thought the tigerdirect said quad band. Anyway he said to make a call, I not only have to buy a SIM card in China, but I need to have a service provider in China. I didn't know what he meant by that. I thought I buy a SIM card in China and I'm ready to make phone calls. Judjing by some of the posts, it seemed like it was 4 cents/min to call the US with a SIM card.

What did he mean by get a service provider in China? He said he didn't know anymore, would have to talk to someone in China.

Buying the SIM and activating it means you've found a service provider.

You have all the information you need, really. No need to talk to any &quot;Motorola salesman&quot;.

The rate I'm getting for the Shenzhouxing from China Mobile's website is <b>0.80RMB per 6 seconds</b>. Or about US$1 per minute. It's not cheap to call long-distance with a cellphone from China to overseas. But it's still a lot cheaper than any US carrier will charge you, which runs at least US$3/min.

Local calls within China is <b>0.60RMB per minute</b> plus <b>0.07RMB per 6 second</b> if calling local long-distance. It's pretty cheap regardless.

Receiving calls (regardless from where) should also be just that <b>0.60RMB per minute</b> basic charge.

If you need to talk long back to the US, buy a phone card and call on a landline.

Oh, I'm reading more about this. There's a cheaper way to call from your cellphone to the US, using the Internet Protocol. You dial a number (17951) then 00, then the country code (1 for US/Canada), and so on, and the rate is <b>2.40RMB per minute</b> or about 1/3 the cost of not using IP.

rkkwan,
Thanks for the info. I thought someone posted that it cost about 4 cents/min. I must have misunderstood.

I also thought an IP card was only good on landline phones. Not true?

I received my Motorola GSM phone. It's pretty compact. Unfortunately, the directions are in foreign languages, no English. No Chinese surprisingly enough either.

I opened it up to put the battery in, but am not sure where the SIM card goes. I was expecting a slot on the outside of the phone.

It does turn on and says &quot;Hellomoto&quot; on the screen. Then it asks for me to insert SIM. The charger appears to be one for the US, or at least it fits the US plug. I assume China uses a different type of plug.

I will need to study the pictures in the manual.

rkkwan,

You're thinking if I can find someone with a SIM card who has Cingular or T-mobile, I can just put it in and use the phone to test it, right? If it boots up and says the name of the company, that is enough to know it works, right?

The SIM card slot is behind the battery. Remove the battery and you'll find a little recess area for the card. The card is like a little rectangle with a corner cut off, so you can only insert it one way, with the metal contact facing down, touching the phone.

rkkwan,
I see it. Thanks!

I just saw an ad in Walmart for a Motorola C139 phone for only $14.88!!! I looked it up on the internet and it's listed as a China GSM phone. Darn!! I'm not sure if it works like the C139p I bought, but boy is it dirt cheap!!

If one buys a C139 here at US Wal-Mart, it should be 850/1900 to be used with Cingular or T-Mobile USA here. It will not work in China.

Good, I was feeling like I missed a really good deal here. Thanks for letting me know.

Han anyone ever purchased a cell phone in China to use while you're there? I have a China sim card and just need a quad band phone.

I am going to Shanghai in a few months and am curious also about cell phone use. Great information so far. When you buy one on ebay then buy a SIM card in China, how much $ per minute is it after that? Or are there a certain number of minutes pre-paid?
Any help or feedback would be appreciated.