I find myself in unknown waters, and hope the membership can help. My son is doing a college study abroad program this summer in China. For those who travel internationally, how do I determine what cellular service will work best over there so I can get him a temporary phone to use to call home while he's away? Also, anybody know if there's a decent, cheap, phone that supports a dual SIM setup?

Buying a pre-paid SIM is the obvious answer, but I'm afraid you need China-specific advice since I believe their cell stuff is pretty well regulated by .gov.

Can't have a bunch of revolutionary types running around with free-market phones, after all.

-Rob

My travels take me throughout Europe and Turkey, and T-mobile seems to be the most common carrier I've seen advertised, as well as used by Americans with a US phone traveling abroad. Another option is the Google phone.

Here you go:

China specific cell phone options -

https://www.travelchinaguide.c...ial/post_telecom.htm

-Rob

I know we've had at least one member living in China, and Jeff Yarchin's son is over there as well.

My daughter was in Hong Kong for 6 months last year. She picked up a sim card for her iphone from the 7-11 there and topped it off as needed.

If your son is going to be in Hong Kong, I can give more specific advice on lots of things - drop me a note if I can be of help.

What about internet? We're doing a 20 day Viking cruisetour (Undiscovered China) later this summer and may take the Android (me) and I Phone (wife). We can live without calls, but it sure would be handy to check email - and of course Sig Forum - while we're gone. Seven days is on a river boat which says "Free Internet service," the other days are in Viking-arranged hotels.

Does internet access require anything special?

I was there in Feb. On Verizon, it was $10 per day for me to use my US-based data/phone/text plan same as at home. For 4 days it wasn't bad. I did have issues connecting in Changchun, however. I don't know if it was my phone or their network. Beijing & Guangzhou had LTE speeds.

I know you don't want to pay $300/mo, but at least it will likely work when he gets there.

Ask your carrier if they have specific programs for travelling abroad.

AT&T has passport service which you pay one month at a time and the calls back home are free and they allow the phone to connect to the data service while there.

Just get it over there much cheaper and better choice.

quote:

Originally posted by snidera:
I was there in Feb. On Verizon, it was $10 per day for me to use my US-based data/phone/text plan same as at home. For 4 days it wasn't bad. I did have issues connecting in Changchun, however. I don't know if it was my phone or their network. Beijing & Guangzhou had LTE speeds.

I know you don't want to pay $300/mo, but at least it will likely work when he gets there.

My wife and I were in Croatia, Germany and Switzerland last September. We arranged through Verizon to have the OPTION for the international service and have voice/data apply to our existing plan for $10/day. In the end, we never used it because we are cheap and got on a schedule to Facetime the kids/babysitting on regular intervals. However, had the kids called us, we would need to have been on cellular which we typically didn't do. Besides, in an emergency there wouldn't be much we could do.

You're likely to find a decent price on a phone plan over there. Besides, with the massive time change, you may find wireless video is the easiest and cheapest option.

quote:

Originally posted by snidera:
I was there in Feb. On Verizon, it was $10 per day for me to use my US-based data/phone/text plan same as at home...

Forgot to mention we're on Verizon. $10/day for two phones is chump change compared to other vacation costs.

http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/China

You can also look up for all other regions/countries.

My son lives in Beijing. Phones and phone service are cheap in China. His best bet would be to buy a phone and service when he arrives. Just beware of counterfeit phones.

quote:

Originally posted by skyline009:
Just get it over there much cheaper and better choice.

^^^^^This is the right answer.

Spent the past 6 years in china.

He can get china mobile or china Unicom, no problem and no reason to get any fancy equipment....its china.

Skype is good you can get international calling for like 1.2c a minute as long as you are on wifi.

He can also get the app called wechat and you can text instantly for free ifnits wifi or very cheap with 4g.

I talk to my folks and family regularity via skype and we chat.

If you have any china questions, feel free to ask, I did 6 years here (coming home for good in June). So I have the country and the contact stuff figured out pretty well.

Where will your son be? What's he doing?

quote:

Originally posted by SigSAC:
I know we've had at least one member living in China, and Jeff Yarchin's son is over there as well.

That's me. Happy to help any members with china questions.

quote:

Originally posted by newmexican:
Spent the past 6 years in china.

He can get china mobile or china Unicom, no problem and no reason to get any fancy equipment....its china.

Skype is good you can get international calling for like 1.2c a minute as long as you are on wifi.

He can also get the app called wechat and you can text instantly for free ifnits wifi or very cheap with 4g.

I talk to my folks and family regularity via skype and we chat.

If you have any china questions, feel free to ask, I did 6 years here (coming home for good in June). So I have the country and the contact stuff figured out pretty well.

Where will your son be? What's he doing?

The Wechat App is awesome. It allows us to chat and video chat easily using wifi....it's free. We have a family thread going with both, one in China and one in the UK.

Just make sure you don't discuss Chinese politics on WeChat.

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Yarchin:

quote:

Originally posted by newmexican:
Spent the past 6 years in china.

He can get china mobile or china Unicom, no problem and no reason to get any fancy equipment....its china.

Skype is good you can get international calling for like 1.2c a minute as long as you are on wifi.

He can also get the app called wechat and you can text instantly for free ifnits wifi or very cheap with 4g.

I talk to my folks and family regularity via skype and we chat.

If you have any china questions, feel free to ask, I did 6 years here (coming home for good in June). So I have the country and the contact stuff figured out pretty well.

Where will your son be? What's he doing?

The Wechat App is awesome. It allows us to chat and video chat easily using wifi....it's free. We have a family thread going with both, one in China and one in the UK.

Just make sure you don't discuss Chinese politics on WeChat.

Wechat is awesome!