Travelling to China, Best Phone to take/ Best apps/Best Cell Service in China?

[wavestation]

Hi I am taking a trip to China in September for 2 months and own an LG GT540, it's a android 2.1 phone, unlocked, GSM. It comes with a camera, wifi,etc. Does this phone have OCR capability or do you need a special phone?

I know conversational mandarin at a low intermediate level and recognize about 150 characters, and want to use OCR software to read signs, menus, maybe even magazines or etc. Flashcard and dictionary functionality would be useful too.

I want to become fluent in conversational mandarin, and have purchased some flashcards and an 800 character learning book.

I'd really prefer to have OCR functionality without needing to connect to the Internet, that way if i am in a remote region or if internet access does not work or is really expensive i still can use it to read signs.

My questions:

1. What kind of phone is best to take? Is it better to buy an unlocked iPhone?

2. What useful apps are there for someone wanting to travel and learn more Mandarin?

A. which OCR apps out there can my phone best use without needing access to the internet?

3. Which cell phone service providers are best?

A.Lowest startup costs- will need a SIM card, and not needing to sign a contract or pay expensive fees to start service leading to:

B. Is pay per minute/pay per megabyte or a monthly plan better?

C. I read that the fastest networks, 3gs or better are not available for GSM phones?

D. How reliable and cheap is wireless internet on smartphones?

E. Which networks have reliable service? Few dropped calls, no issues connecting to service

4. How available are the cheap $80 smartphones i see on ebay? Are cellphones more expensive than in the US? I bought my unlocked phone for just $125? And are they reliable phones?

5. Will i need to worry about theft of a nice phone while travelling in China?

Thanks a bunch for your help. If there's a good webpage that covers cell phones and service in China point me in the right direction!! I leave in 2 weeks, so if need to buy a new phone/apps, etc, i need to get started right away considering shipping times, etc. Thanks!!!

[jkhsu]

I'll defer the other questions to people who are living in China but I can answer this one:

Will i need to worry about theft of a nice phone while travelling in China?

Yes, absolutely. Make sure you have it hidden in a zipped / buttoned pocket with your hands on it while in a crowded train, subway, etc. Cell phone theft is very common in China.