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Sign up with Google Sign up with FacebookQ: Mobile phone plans in China?
Just wondering if they offer mobile phone plans here in China. If so, where should I go for this? TY in advance
You can go to any of the main vendors such as China Mobile, China Unicom or China Telecom. They all have mobile packages. Which one is best depends on where you live and what specials they have going at the moment.
But most people here just use a pay-as-you-go method buying top off cards when ever they need to put more money in their phone.
PrettyNyssa:
Thanks :-) I am thinking of signing for a mobile phone plan from China Unicom. I was hoping to get a phone and mobile service package and pay them monthly for both... Kinda like an installment thing.
Xpat.John:
They have things like that, but not the way you think. Normally, it is a pay everything completely up front, then have your bill deducted monthly from the balance. (This is the way they did it with the iPhone4 promotion.) They might have different plans for different phones, but that is the only one I actually have seen.
PrettyNyssa:
How much did you pay for your iphone? Did you get it from Telecom, China Mobile or Unicom?
Xpat.John:
They wanted 7,000RMB for an iPhone and that included 2 years of service. I didn't buy it, but it was available through China Telecom around a year ago in Dalian.
PrettyNyssa:
I see. Thanks :-) I am going to have a look around my city this weekend and I will post my update on here :-)
As foreigner you can't get a plan, simple. You need to pay upfront. Their are ways arround it if you know a local who has a SIM card from the provider and the HUKOU in the city. Overall China isn't a friendly country for expats if it comes to deals like that. They do have SOME deals for foreigners were they give you a phone but this phones are from WWII. Nobody want this. Second option is that you can do it with your company (if you have work of course and they are willing to help you out).
And as TIC, their are way's to do it. not easy and simple but it can be done. Question is "is it worth always all the hassle".
PrettyNyssa:
I think it would be nice to know if we (expats) could be able to sign-up for phone plans here in China. I've raised this question cause when our landlady applied for our internet service, we got a free 'Bird' phone (from China Telecom). We pay the internet and the phone service by monthly for around 90RMB. But hey, my husband and I will visit some Unicom/Telecom/China Mobile shops this weekend and I will keep y'all updated :-)