Shipping an iPad to China

[Prodigal Son]

Can anyone suggest the best method to do this? I have someone in the US that can send me the package but what I'm wondering is what to list on the customs duty. Should I say it's new? Used? A gift? Something else?

Thanks for any tips or advice-

[rivercao]

I suggest it delivered as a gift. I'm not sure of the duty fee but I once recieved a pair of shoes from Singapore, the information in my memory including its value, purpose, weight, and its insurance.

[Prodigal Son]

That's what I ended up doing. I spoke to a colleague who shipped 3 iPods to China recently and he had them sent as gifts and the cost was $70.

[imron]

You should have gone with educational materials

[roddy]

Anyone else noticing a lot of iPad users around, considering it's not officially on sale here? Maybe I just hang around in places full of Apple posers, but all the same . . .

Getting more tempted now - if you can't beat 'em, copy 'em.

[gato]

I am waiting for iPad 2.0. I do see a lot of people using it at the airport.

[putonghua73]

Getting more tempted now - if you can't beat 'em' date=' copy 'em[/quote']

I used to be an iPhone user - past tense since it was 'mislaid' in Kundu, shortly after arriving in Kunming - and it was a breath of fresh air after the frustrations of Symbian S60 on my former Nokia E61. Yes, using iTunes for file-transfer (syncing back and forth) is a pain in the posterior - particularly since iTunes had a nasty habit of assuming that if one wished to sync from iPhone to Pc, then you obviously wished to have iPhone content deleted - but for daily use, the iPhone UI and underlying OS is night and day compared to Symbian S60. I could also accept walled garden limitations on a mobile device (lack of Flash wasn't a biggie).

The iPad is a media consumption device, and I can see the potential with using the device, but the walled garden approach is too much of a liability - when combined with the price - in two key areas:

1. file-transfer (content)

2. lack of Flash support

"1991 called and wants it's file-transfer methodology back..." is a pertinent quote from a comment based upon an article in El Reg (The Register):

http://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/3/2010/06/07/ipad_file_transfer/

First, there are reports that when a file is used by an app, the same file cannot be used by another app unless you export and re-import the file.

Second, unless I store content in the 'cloud', file-transfer (documents, music, photographs, etc) using a Pc / Macbook / laptop isn't optional - it's mandatory. No CD/DVD drive; no USB slots (hence no USB sticks). Which may not be an issue, if you want a mobile / portable device on the go, and already have a desktop / laptop and aren't too fussed about file transfer.

I was potentially interested in the iPad as a laptop replacement - clearly that isn't it's function. I might have been able to live / use workaround solutions to the file-transfer situation, but I cannot live without Flash support. Far too many sites - educational and entertainment - use Flash. On a media consumption device, lack of Flash support absolutely kills the device as being potentially useful; even though I would love the form factor, the slick touchscreen UI, E-Reader functionality (convergence), etc.

Since I already have a desktop back in London, and a netbook with me [Kunming], I have no need to purchase another device; especially given that the iPad cannot replace my netbook. When the time comes to replace my netbook, I'll stick with a fully-fleged laptop to also replace my desktop.

Or, as Gato alluded, future iterations of the iPad tackle these issues to make the device viable for me.

Cheers!

[GreenArrow45]

I had an iPhone shipped to me and it was stolen by the customs officials or shipping company in China (not sure which). Whatever the case, make sure that you have some sort of insurance on it from the US side so that if it should be stolen or damaged, you can hopefully recover at least some of your losses.

[feihong]

IPad owners: Is it possible to use the App Store when you are in China? My dad wants to take an iPad with him on his next business trip to China, but I'm worried that he won't be able to access the App Store through the Great Firewall. He is not tech-savvy so using VPN is not a realistic workaround.

[Saxondale]

i'm looking at getting my parents to ship over the new iphone 5 to china but a bit worried about custom fees. i'm pretty sure when items marked as a gift get sent to england, they don't incur any fees....i think. is this the same with china?

what's the best way to do it? i'm looking at getting it sent over with enough insurance to cover any loss or damage.

[liuzhou]

I used to be an iPhone user

I'm sure you feel much better now.

i'm looking at getting my parents to ship over the new iphone 5 to china but a bit worried about custom fees. i'm pretty sure when items marked as a gift get sent to england, they don't incur any fees....i think. is this the same with china?

No. Expect fees.

Is it possible to use the App Store when you are in China?

Not easily.

[imron]

No. Expect fees.

But what if they mark it as 'educational device'

[dwq]

Better declare it if you go through customs in person. Not sure about post.

These are about the iPad but I'm sure the iPhone 5 will be getting the same treatment.

內地海關稱將加強打擊走私新iPad入境

深圳海关：偷带三代iPad入境属违法行为

Or, be a challenger and try like this guy

http://hk.apple.next...120304/50070445