New Members fotowench Posted August 30, 2013 at 10:17 AM New Members Report Share Posted August 30, 2013 at 10:17 AM I have just moved to Suzhou for a year to teach English. My Chinese helpers have sorta rushed me through the cellphone buying phase and I have discovered that I can download google play store to my phone but it will not function/open. I purchased a Chinese Opsson smart phone and am having a horrible time trying to get English apps. Google maps though downloaded wont work because it wants me to install google play. I can't install Google play. My Chinese helper gave up trying to figure it out and said I should buy an iphone. They are too expensive here for 1 year! I can't find any Chinese translator apps because the app stores are all in Chinese. Can anyone help me figure out what to do to make this phone work for me for the year? If I have to start over, I need to figure out what to buy without investing big $$ because at the end of the year it will be disposed of and I'll go back to my happy American Iphone! I do have another day or two that I can return the phone and maybe exchange up spending a little more money if it saves the hassles!! Help please...I've been here for only a couple days and am frustrated that my choice of phones has tripped me up. Thanks so much for ANY words of wisdom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
歐博思 Posted August 30, 2013 at 09:03 PM Report Share Posted August 30, 2013 at 09:03 PM I'd order an unlocked iPhone from home and stick a Chinese sim card in it. At the end of your stay, you could sell it on taobao for more than you paid for it and less than a Chinese could get it in China. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChTTay Posted August 30, 2013 at 11:57 PM Report Share Posted August 30, 2013 at 11:57 PM I probably wouldn't ship an iPhone from home, I would just... ...Buy any android phone and change the language to English. I bought a Chinese HTC and changed the language to English. The Market app pre-installed then took me to the English language version, not the Chinese. Almost everything is now in English apart from sim card related prompts which tend to be not important and infrequent. HTC also have a great pre-installed keyboard for switching between English and Chinese. But any android phone should be ok and are usually have cheap models available. Google and China don't play well together. Pleco can be found in Chinese language stores, at least on iPad. HanPing dictionary can definitely be found in Chinese language Android. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lu Posted September 1, 2013 at 02:21 PM Report Share Posted September 1, 2013 at 02:21 PM First, this phone seems useless for you, so I'd definitely return it, preferably just get your money back. Secondly, I would strongly recommend NOT buying a Chinese smartphone (that is, a smartphone sold in a normal shop in China). I bought an HTC two years ago and was fighting with it at every step. Those phones come pre-blocked, it refused to download Skype, for instance, even when I took it to Hong Kong where Skype is not blocked at all. If you can, try to get a phone from Hong Kong or Taiwan (perhaps you know someone who will visit there?), they don't have such problems. Alternatively, find someone willing to help you, get a new phone and don't let that person give up before you can do the things you need. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Members fotowench Posted September 3, 2013 at 04:28 AM Author New Members Report Share Posted September 3, 2013 at 04:28 AM Unfortunately, I have had no success returning the phone nor downloading any English apps. I do have a friend who has an extra phone that will let me borrow it for the year. I will travel to Shanghai this weekend to get it. Frustrated but at least a solution of sorts. I recommend any teachers coming over to bring an a phone that is broken in their country and putting a Chinese SIM card in it while here. This was a waste of money...but maybe I can sell it and get something back on it. Thanks for trying to help. If anyone else reads this and has any suggestions then I would love to hear them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seesaw Posted September 25, 2013 at 07:26 AM Report Share Posted September 25, 2013 at 07:26 AM The problem of the phone you bought is that the pre-installed Android system is "customized" for Chinese market. Check this link out, it may help: http://www.linuxidc.com/Linux/2013-03/80775.htm I just googled it for you, not sure if it works for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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