chinese txt ability on US cell phone?

[hello123]

Hi,

I don't know if this is the right area for this question but..

Has anyone purchased a cell phone in the US that can read/write Chinese characters? I was thinking about this recently as my fiance loves to TEXT with her family. Each txt costs a few cents so maybe that trend will go down when she arrives.
I currently have a blackberry that does just "ok" with reading Chinese txt but still cannot enter txt. I was even thinking about buying a chinese phone and pop in a T-mobile sim card.

Anyone else go through this?

[LeeFisher3]

Hi,

 

I don't know if this is the right area for this question but..

 

Has anyone purchased a cell phone in the US that can read/write Chinese characters? I was thinking about this recently as my fiance loves to TEXT with her family. Each txt costs a few cents so maybe that trend will go down when she arrives.

I currently have a blackberry that does just "ok" with reading Chinese txt but still cannot enter txt. I was even thinking about buying a chinese phone and pop in a T-mobile sim card.

 

Anyone else go through this?

Check around your local Chinese markets, I've seen sell T-Mobile phones that support Chinese, but you won't find them in the regular phone stores.

[2mike&jin]

Hi,

 

I don't know if this is the right area for this question but..

 

Has anyone purchased a cell phone in the US that can read/write Chinese characters? I was thinking about this recently as my fiance loves to TEXT with her family. Each txt costs a few cents so maybe that trend will go down when she arrives.

I currently have a blackberry that does just "ok" with reading Chinese txt but still cannot enter txt. I was even thinking about buying a chinese phone and pop in a T-mobile sim card.

 

Anyone else go through this?

 

Too hard to change languages on my Verizon - so we have 2 phones. USA VERIZON - and NOKIA China mobile - which works just about in every country, USA, CHINA, HK, etc - Malaysia, Thailand (not tested in Europe Yet) and my US Verizon Phone. Both work in both countries - I use Chinese on one and English on the other..both have pictures, txt etc. If you have relatives (of course you do) in China - they can feed the phone should you run out of money...ez to do in about 10 Million places. BTW the Chinese phone is cheaper to operate that the standard Verizon Long Distance. However, not as cheap when I'm in the USA and call Internationally - I pay the $4.95 a month for "lower rate" international calling -- still very expensive compared to skype etc....etc. If someone has a good way of switching languages on the Verizon - and not messing things up - let me know..but of course one needs to be able to read Hanzi...sometimes I have to ask the Fiance'e what something means...embarassing for someone who spends 4 hours a day in school!

 

Hawaii Mike

[Randy W]

The Chinese phones are unlocked - I think that's the way to go with a US SIM card

 

I think the Blackberry's also support Chinese input, if you can find any more detail on that - check the BlackBerry forums.

[dnoblett]

I just got a Motorola Q, I will have to try this one: http://msmobiles.com/news.php/1625.html I am using Viotel wireless, that uses Verizon as the carrier.

Edited September 24, 2008 by dnoblett (see edit history)

[Yi_&_Me]

Sony Ericsson's 900 series from China will allow you to switch languages and the strokes are on the number pad and has the suggestion/hint feature. I bought a 908i in January and the 910 is the upgrade. Uses SIM cards and they are sliders if that is a problem.

 

She did not want to upgrade when I was there earlier this month. The 908 has video phone if you have access to a true 3G network and this capability at both ends, portable webcam. Did not have enough time to check the 910 out throughly.

[hello123]

Ok, thanks for the input.

 

It seems buying a Chinese phone and popping a US sim card might be the way to go. US phones would be fine except for the text msgs part.

 

The blackberry does have some ability to read but inputing characters is a problem.

 

Too bad there are no International Texting plans/packages around.

 

There are some wifi options on phones but then the receiver needs to have the same messenger software or they cannot return the txt. Also, a person is required to sign up for the data packages.

 

 

 

"I just got a Motorola Q, I will have to try this one: http://msmobiles.com/news.php/1625.html I am using Viotel wireless, that uses Verizon as the carrier."

 

dnoblett,

Did you get a chance to try out the msnmobiles software?

[The Jeff]

ATT offers unlimited international texting for $10 a month. We would have got it, except our phones have no Chinese input.

Edited September 28, 2008 by Barey Jones (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Ok, thanks for the input.

 

It seems buying a Chinese phone and popping a US sim card might be the way to go. US phones would be fine except for the text msgs part.

 

The blackberry does have some ability to read but inputing characters is a problem.

 

 

http://1010.hkcsl.com/jsp/mobile_email_and...sp?language=eng

 

# Support Q9 Chinese Stoke Input, . . . . . .

Support English Spell Check and Simplified Chinese Input (WuBiHua / PinYin)

Edited September 29, 2008 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Meiji Huaren]

I know I'm a little too late with this reply but the iPhone can type in Chinese using pinyin. The iPhone 3G also has a new handwriting feature.

 

The pinyin on the iPhone is much easier to use than a computer's since there are shortcuts (ie: "wsm" = Ϊʲô )

 

I think the unlocked iPhone can be bought in HK. If you bring a US one over it can be unlocked with something piggy-backed to the sim chip.

Edited October 6, 2008 by Meiji Huaren (see edit history)