Sim cards and smartphones for China

[danb]

Hello, A few years ago in Beijing there were sim cards for sell from vending machines. Well at least I think that is what those vending machines were selling. I am not sure which termnal that I was in and I was just transitioning thru Beijing. Has anyone else seen those machine? Has anyone one ever used those machines. Those machines were not English friendly. I don't recall seeing any of the vendor's booths that use to sell sim cards. I think those vendors use to sell sim cards for 100 RMB.

I would like to buy a sim card for my phone. My phone is a smartphone. Does anyone know if I have to buy a special sim card or will they all work? Will I need any special software for my phone? Thank you any info that you can give me. Danb

[credzba]

Hello, A few years ago in Beijing there were sim cards for sell from vending machines. Well at least I think that is what those vending machines were selling. I am not sure which termnal that I was in and I was just transitioning thru Beijing. Has anyone else seen those machine? Has anyone one ever used those machines. Those machines were not English friendly. I don't recall seeing any of the vendor's booths that use to sell sim cards. I think those vendors use to sell sim cards for 100 RMB.

 

I would like to buy a sim card for my phone. My phone is a smartphone. Does anyone know if I have to buy a special sim card or will they all work? Will I need any special software for my phone? Thank you any info that you can give me. Danb

 

As long as you have a gsm phone and its unlocked, the sim will work.

What I did was had my wife buy me one, put 100 rmb on it and mail it to me in the states.

Then she knew my phone number, and I had it when the plane touched down.

 

Also, I kept it, and each time I went to china she would put money on it for me again.

[2mike&jin]

IF it is an IPHONE - Just make sure it's a MICRO SIM CARD. Most SIMS in CHina are the old "Larger ONES". THEY WILL NOT FIT IN An IPHONE. I notice T_smobile here in the US also sells both the MICRO and NORMAL SIM CARDS. FYI - a MICRO sim can be used in a standard SIM CARD but you need a special holder to keep it in the correct position. The reverse is not true...big card no fit in small hole! (FYI - to extract IPHONE SIM, use regular size paper clip - bent to look like needle - insert in small hole on right hand side of IPHONE - push hard and MICRO SIM WILL POP OUT)

Edited April 9, 2012 by 2mike&jin (see edit history)

[danb]

Thank you for the replies. I bought a Galaxy Skyrocket from AT&T a few months ago. It is a smart phone. In the past I have always been able to get them to unlock my phones before I travel to China. This time they say that they can't. I would like to get it unlock. It that something that I can get done at in China. Is that something that I can get done at the airport. If it is possible are there any issues that I should be concern about. Thanks for any info that you all can give me. Danb

 

PS. Credzba, I have always just gotten a new sim card when I go to China. I always thought that it would be too expensive to keep the sim card active. Don't you have to put money down on a regular bases to keep it active.

[Randy W]

Thank you for the replies. I bought a Galaxy Skyrocket from AT&T a few months ago. It is a smart phone. In the past I have always been able to get them to unlock my phones before I travel to China. This time they say that they can't. I would like to get it unlock. It that something that I can get done at in China. Is that something that I can get done at the airport. If it is possible are there any issues that I should be concern about. Thanks for any info that you all can give me. Danb

 

PS. Credzba, I have always just gotten a new sim card when I go to China. I always thought that it would be too expensive to keep the sim card active. Don't you have to put money down on a regular bases to keep it active.

 

Hopefully, they didn't unlock it because you hadn't had it long enough. You can try an online service - (usually) for a fee, they will send you an unlock code for your MEI (phone-specific ID), along with instructions for how to do it. Google "unlock Galaxy cell". It may be more difficult once you're in China, simply because they don't deal with locked phones (of course, the online service will work just fine).

 

You can try an old SIM card - as long as the time doesn't expire, it may still be good. Seeing as how that' s a dedicated phone number, though, it may just come with an expiration date.

Edited April 22, 2012 by Randy W (see edit history)

[danb]

i called AT&T several times and got a variety of stories of whether or not there was a lock code and whether they would release it to me. At the end they gave me one....actual several ones. When I got to Beijing i had to buy a new Sim Card from a dealer at the airport. My old one was no longer active. They tried the new sim card in my new smartphone. It did not work so I just put it into an old phone. I would like to get my Samsung smart phone to work but I tried the unlock codes that they gave me but they did not work. In the past they gave me one unlock code, not 3 of them. I am trying to figure out what code is for what. The text message that I got read...." Imei XXXXX Samsung Code 3M00265543 Unlock Code N/APUK1 72326012PUK2 03742323 ". I put the new sim card in and powered the phone up and tried to enter the access code but I keep get an error message. I tried the 3 numbers above. It is a little confusing if I should use the 1 and 2 that is listed after the word PUK. I think is tried both way. My gut tells me that I should use the Samsunsung code but nothing seems to work and I am afraid my phone will be locked out if i try to many times. Any Ideas? Thanks in advance for any ideas. DanB

[Randy W]

i called AT&T several times and got a variety of stories of whether or not there was a lock code and whether they would release it to me. At the end they gave me one....actual several ones. When I got to Beijing i had to buy a new Sim Card from a dealer at the airport. My old one was no longer active. They tried the new sim card in my new smartphone. It did not work so I just put it into an old phone. I would like to get my Samsung smart phone to work but I tried the unlock codes that they gave me but they did not work. In the past they gave me one unlock code, not 3 of them. I am trying to figure out what code is for what. The text message that I got read...." Imei XXXXX Samsung Code 3M00265543 Unlock Code N/APUK1 72326012PUK2 03742323 ". I put the new sim card in and powered the phone up and tried to enter the access code but I keep get an error message. I tried the 3 numbers above. It is a little confusing if I should use the 1 and 2 that is listed after the word PUK. I think is tried both way. My gut tells me that I should use the Samsunsung code but nothing seems to work and I am afraid my phone will be locked out if i try to many times. Any Ideas? Thanks in advance for any ideas. DanB

 

 

http://www.cellunlock.net/How_to_Unlock_Samsung_s/254.htm

 

I think your phone is a Samsung Code? Locked for the 3M network?

 

It looks like you have two 8-digit unlock codes - 72326012 and 03742323.

 

If you still have trouble, you might try purchasing an unlock code from one of the online vendors (search for "Unlock Samsung")

 

http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=kb33662&cv=820#fbid=iLL8UI5-mnF

 

But it looks like they may have misunderstood your request - http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB102449#fbid=iLL8UI5-mnF