Will a Western iPhone work in China?

[pprendeville]

I got my iPhone 4 unlocked the legal way before coming to China. My wife brought it to a shop in her local town yesterday and they said the sim card are different here in China which renders it useless for making calls here. Can ayone verify this? Find it strange that iPhones made for the chinese market are different.

[skylee]

I have never used an iPhone. But I do know that many mainlanders come to Hong Kong to buy iphones (because they are cheaper here) and many HKers (my brother included) sell their iphones for resale in the Mainland. AFAIK the iPhones sold in HK are the same as those sold in the rest of the world and are not locked. So it would appear strange if none of the Mainland sim cards can fit in those phones. Perhaps you just have to find the right service providers.

[Kanjiology]

I'm using my AT&T iPhone from the US in China no problem. I just put in the sim from China Mobile and it works no problem. I got it unlocked via a seller on eBay.

[fanglu]

Used mine in China fine. Had to cut the sim to micro-sim size though. Maybe that's the problem.

[gato]

It should work fine. Just go to China Mobile to get a right-sized SIM card.

[zhouhaochen]

the simple answer to your question is: yes.

[pprendeville]

Ya, I was thinking the same thing. Just the way my wife was explaining it to me sounded like even the micro sim was not compatible. Anyway, I'll bring it back to Beijing next time I'm visiting and see what the story is in a CM shop.

[thedarksideofthemoon]

I am using my European iPhone in China without problems

[pprendeville]

Phone is working anyway, got a China Unicom SIM here on campus and all is well. Didn't realise that the iPhone mini SIMS are just large cards that are cut to size. They have a little jig in the shop similar to a stapler for doing the job.