Phone service while in China

[retodd1000]

Hey everybody,

 

I'm going to China in March. I have an LG Spectrum through Verizon. As far as I know, it has the capability to be used outside of the US. Will this apply to China? Will I be able to use my web sevice through my phone while in China?

 

Thanks,

Todd

[warpedbored]

Your carrier can tell you if it will work there or not but it will likely be expensive. A better bet is to take an unlocked phone that uses a SIM card like T-Mobile or ATT uses. You can buy pre paid SIM cards in China to use.

[Randy W]

China carriers sell both CDMA and GSM SIM cards - if you have an unlocked phone with a SIM card, make sure you get the right kind for your phone.

 

U.S. CDMA phones (such as Verizon's) often don't use SIM cards. The cards are physically the same size and shape, but are not interchangeable (GSM vs. CDMA)

[retodd1000]

My phone has two cards under the back cover. One is the microSD card. The other is a Verizon card and has 4g Lite printed on it. I'll give Verizon a call.

 

Thanks,

Todd

[dnoblett]

Past few times we went to China we did not bother with bringing a cell phone, we either borrowed one from family or used service like Skype on a PC to call home.

 

But yes Verizon phones tend to be strictly CDMA and wont work in China, a phone like T-Mobile or AT&T will if they are unlocked and use sim cards.

 

My iPhone 4 will work over there because I own it outright without a contract so it is unlocked, and it will use micro-sim cards, and is GSM, however the Verizon version lacks the sim card slot and is CDMA.

 

Here is a source of service and sim cards. http://www.86callchina.com/

 

You could always buy a basic GSM phone for travel over there.

[dnoblett]

I tagged a few threads "Sim Card" http://candleforlove.com/forums/tags/forums/Sim%2BCard/

[danb]

Hello Todd, Welcome to the forum. Yesterday, I was reading on the internet about locked and unlocked phones. It is a bit confusing. Sounds like there has been some changes recently with the FCC regulations. ATT&T will unlocked my phones but it takes times. When I got to China this time I went to the China mobile store at the Beijng Airport and bought a local Sim card from them. Some of their people spoke English. They installed it for me and gave me my old sim card back. I suggest that you have them make a phone call for you so that you can check that it works and you can see what the dialing pattern is. They told me that a 30 rmb sim card in my unlocked phone would get me about 30 minutes of talk time, After that I could go to any China Mobile and get a recharge. I believe that China Mobile and China Unicom are two of China's largest mobile carrier.

 

A side note. In the Beijing airport there are vending machines that sell sim card and phone cards. Most of the instructions are in Chinese which is greek to me. I screwed up and bought a phone card instead of a sim card. Both the vending machines and the China Mobile store was outside in the big hall after the baggage claims area. There arealso ATM's, KFC, and other stores in that area. Please let us know what Verizon tells you about unlocking your phone.

 

Danb

 

PS. Can anyone tell me how much it cost them to use a smartphone in China for a month? Thanks

[dnoblett]

Yes if you have an apple iPhone or other phone tied into a major carrier, more than likely it will need to be unlocked, they lock it if you are on a 2 year contract.

 

I bought my wife and my iPhones a year or so ago, they were AT&T phones, since I bought them outright I got them unlocked by AT&T, it was a two step procedure.

1. Contacting AT&T, and faxing them a copy of the sales receipt for the phones.
2. Reseting the phones using iTunes after AT&T unlocked them.

After that I can use any GSM carrier, currently using Straight-Talk unlimited data, voice, text for $45 a month each, my wife uses WeChat to voice chat with her sister in China for no charge using her iPhone. If and when we travel to China it will be a simple matter of getting a Sim card over in China to use our phones over there.

[NUWORLD]

Past few times we went to China we did not bother with bringing a cell phone, we either borrowed one from family or used service like Skype on a PC to call home.

 

But yes Verizon phones tend to be strictly CDMA and wont work in China, a phone like T-Mobile or AT&T will if they are unlocked and use sim cards.

 

My iPhone 4 will work over there because I own it outright without a contract so it is unlocked, and it will use micro-sim cards, and is GSM, however the Verizon version lacks the sim card slot and is CDMA.

 

Here is a source of service and sim cards. http://www.86callchina.com/

 

You could always buy a basic GSM phone for travel over there.

 

 

I'll jump in here and disagree for Verizon phones do!! work in China.

At least in Chongqing they do.

 

The wife and i have been to Chongqing three times this year and i have had no problems with using my iphone5 on Verizon.

The Iphone5 uses a micro sim card.

 

With my phone (iphone5) i never bother to get a sim card for they are hard to come by in Chongqing.

 

just call Verizon and tell them your going to China and you need your phone to work there.

They will activate international calling.

A extra 6 dollars a months on your bill.

 

Then again! Why would you need a phone? Your going to be too busy to make phone calls.

 

Your girl friend will talk care of everything, Just use her phone on the first trip.

 

First trip! no phone needed!!

Just enjoy and have a good time and see the sites.

Edited December 22, 2013 by NUWORLD (see edit history)

[dnoblett]

The iPhone 5 is a dual mode CDMA and GSM phone, it has a sim slot on it and can work on both Verizon and AT&T networks, Apple designed it that way so they would not have to sell two versions of the phone.

[NUWORLD]

The iPhone 5 is a dual mode CDMA and GSM phone, it has a sim slot on it and can work on both Verizon and AT&T networks, Apple designed it that way so they would not have to sell two versions of the phone.

 

Yes! this is very true.

then again for the OP.'who ya going to call on the first trip?

Of all my trips to china i really never need a phone.

for who are ya going to call?

 

Unless you live there, there is no need for a phone.

just IMO.

 

any other trips after the first? then yes,maybe need a phone.

 

But of all my trips to china from 2006-2013 i don't need a phone.

There is no one i need to talk to for I'm on vacation.

Edited December 23, 2013 by NUWORLD (see edit history)

[ama537621]

If you out of contract and can afford to buy an unlocked phone, Nexus 5, Iphone 5, 4s. You can purchase both thru their company web sites. When in the states I use the 45 straight talk, they can port your number over. The only drawback to that is when you are in China you will not have access to your US number. But WIFI is almost everywhere over here. so checking your email is a breeze.

 

If you purchase an unlocked phone it can serve dual purpose.

 

1. You could always leave it with your Girl in China to use.

2. You can tell your legacy carrier that they are charging you way to much and get your phone service for 45 dollars a month.

 

*** Make sure you have your phone set to NOT connect to the internet thru cel service while you visit if roaming on your US plan. The fees are HUGE

[danb]

NUWorld, I have to disagree with you, maybe. It depends on the circumstances. I am visiting China now. I was just on the internet trying to get AT&T to unlock my 3 month old Galaxy S-4 phone. Currently they will not unlock it. During the daytime when my Lao Po is working I like to wander around town by myself. I would like to have access to google. I am just starting to use Google translate. At home it is a bit spotty. But I would always like to have an easy and quick way to contact my Lao Po. Also when I am shopping for something I want to bring up pictures of what I am looking for. So that I can show the clerk a photo of what I am looking for. Right now I am borrowing the Lao Po's older Nokia cell. Not that good for me. Everything is in Chinese. I am considering buying a cheaper Android phone for use when I am in China on this trip. Also would like to get a ball park figure how much it will cost me to use the phone in China for a month. I remember once that we were in Beijing and we got separate when boarding a bus. I was like a lost puppy until they came back and retrieved me. Danb

 

Nuworld , Can you tell me what that 6 bucks get you? Can you use the internet and make calls in China for no additional cost? If so that is a good deal. I don't think AT&T will do that. Thanks

Edited December 23, 2013 by danb (see edit history)

[retodd1000]

I was wanting to use it for the internet more than anything else. I dont have a tablet or laptop. I take my phone everywhere, so I didn't think about not having it.

[ama537621]

Danb,

 

http://www.86callchina.com/china-mobile-gprs-package.htm

 

Retod

 

China Mobile Guangdong (Guangzhou and Shenzhen )SIM card GPRS/EDGE Plans

Daily Plan *
Daily fee: 2 yuan /day
Free traffic including: 5 MB /day (cmwap only)
Rate exceed free traffic: 1 yuan/MB (cmwap and cmnet)
Roaming charges: 1 yuan/MB
To Active:
SMS: send BLGPRS to 10086 (Chinese only)
Call: dailing hotline 10086
* actived for Guangdong Easyown SIM Card


5 yuan Plan
Monthly fee: 5 yuan
Free traffic including: 30 MB (cmwap only)
Rate exceed free traffic: 1 yuan/MB (cmwap and cmnet)
Roaming charges: 1 yuan/MB
To Active:
SMS: send BLGPRS to 10086 (Chinese only)
Call: dailing hotline 10086

20 yuan Plan
Monthly fee: 20 yuan
Free traffic including: 150 MB (cmwap only)
Rate exceed free traffic: 1 yuan/MB (cmwap and cmnet)
Roaming charges: 1 yuan/MB
To Active:
SMS: send BLGPRS to 10086 (Chinese only)
Call: dailing hotline 10086

50 yuan Plan
Monthly fee: 50 yuan
Free traffic including: 500 MB (cmwap only)
Rate exceed free traffic: 1 yuan/MB (cmwap and cmnet)
Roaming charges: 1 yuan/MB
To Active:
SMS: send BLGPRS to 10086 (Chinese only)
Call: dailing hotline 10086

100 yuan Plan
Monthly fee: 100 yuan
Free traffic including: 1000 MB
Rate exceed free traffic: 1 yuan/MB (cmwap and cmnet)
Roaming charges: 1 yuan/MB
To Active:
SMS: send BLGPRS to 10086 (Chinese only)
Call: dailing hotline 10086

200 yuan Plan
Monthly fee: 200 yuan
Free traffic including: 2000 MB
Rate exceed free traffic: 1 yuan/MB (cmwap and cmnet)
Roaming charges: 1 yuan/MB
To Active:
SMS: send BLGPRS to 10086 (Chinese only)
Call: dailing hotline 10086

Roaming (inside China mainland) use supported and 1 yuan/MB traffic.
500 yuan for unlimited traffic for any plan.
All GPRS/EDGE plans above only actived next month when you apply it, not actived at once. For SIM card no GPRS plan (including basic plan) actived, when apply GPRS/EDGE plan, it actived at once.