How to get a short-term cell phone?

[teachinator]

Someone told me you can buy disposable cell phones cheap in Beijing -- true? I have many questions about this. I hope someone can enlighten me.

I want a cell phone for just the three months I'll be there (my U.S. phone doesn't take the SIMM that allows it to be used in China). Can I just go buy a disposable one? Can I get one that will work for calling the U.S. as well as within China (at a cost that is at least sort of reasonable)? Will it be rechargeable?

And very importat ... where can I buy one of these phones in Beijing and how much should I expect to pay?

Many thanks for your help!

[trevelyan]

I just purchased a new phone for the GSM China Mobile network for about 330 RMB (+20 RMB for the phone card) down in Guilin. You can probably find something comparable in Beijing. This sort of phone is good nationwide.

If you are only interested in local use, you can always look at buying something called Xiaolingtong (小灵通). China Telecom runs a competiting mobile service on PHS network technology and undercuts both China Unicom and China Mobile on price. The voice quality is not as good, but the handsets are basically as cheap as they come and SMS is dirt-cheap.

There is a used phone market about a block away from the Xizhimen (西直门) subway station. If you are looking for something below about 200 RMB you may just want to go to a local university and look at the wanted ads.

[etcetera24]

Assuming you are a new arrival, want a new phone, and want to avoid scouring phone markets, I'd say pop into China Mobile or China Telecom (compare prices at both places) and ask for their cheapest phones. The price trevelyan mentioned sounds about right.

You will have some room to bargain especially since you're also purchasing a SIM card, so don't be afraid to indignantly sputter "tai gui le! keyi pianyi yi dianr ma?" to try for a lower price.

Phones that work only on the domestic network are very affordable but phones that will operate back in the US are significantly more expensive (since they need to be tri-band).

Wudaokou has several China Mobile and China Telecom shops. It's right in the stretch of buildings that contains Lush etc -- about a 15 minute walk west of BLCU (the direction of the subway).

[Qiuyue]

What kind of phone is it that doesn´t take the chinese SIM?

I have never experienced this, but I´d like to know as friends are coming over and I don´t know if they can use their phones. Is that common?

[teachinator]

It's an old phone - Audiovox CDM-9500. It isn't made any more, so the fact that (according to Verizon) it doesn't take the SIMM is probably a moot point.

By the way, I think I was unclear in one of my questions. I don't want to buy a phone that I can continue to use in the U.S. after I return there. I want to buy a phone that I can use while I'm in China to call both within China and back to the U.S., if that's possible without paying too much. If I could bring it back to China next year and recharge it and use it again, that would be great.

[roddy]

You're really looking at two different things. First you want to get a phone - as above 300Y will get you a low-end phone, or a better one second hand. I've never seen a disposable phone in China*, and if you are here for three months, then spending 300Y on a phone is equal to cents per day anyway.

You then need to get a SIM card - simplest is a China Mobile Shenzhouxing Sim card, which is pay as you go - you get a certain amount of credit when you buy the card (about 40Y, give or take) and purchase top up cards when you need them.

This will allow international calls, but it's expensive. Cheapest method is to buy an international calling card (IP cards) and use that from a landline.

Roddy

* Unless by disposable, you mean the 'buy a phone. Lose it. Buy a phone. Have it stolen. Buy a phone. Lose it' cycle . . .