moondog

Since when has Set B ever been referred to as a "vacation plan"? AFIK, it is the most popular plan by far.

ifly153

Well, I guess I am referring to it as a vacation plan. While it is a good/popular plan for China locals, most people writing in this thread are not locals. The two types of people writing in this thread are vacationers/one-off business trips or people like me who go multiple times a year to China for short stints and need a long term phone.

The Set B 66 CNY plan is good for that first type (mostly vacationers). But I think the 6 CNY per month plan, pay per use everything, is much better for long term users. I think I am trying to bring awareness of this alternative plan, since I have not seen it mentioned in this thread.

moondog

None of the Unicom sets are particularly good for vacationers for the simple fact that they operate based on calender months (i.e. if you had a 7 day vacation starting tomorrow, you'd need to pay the full tab for both June and July).

Almost everyone in my company (not vacationers) who is on Unicom uses Set B, and very few of us exceed Y100 per month (I clock in at around Y200 these days because I'm often in HK).

ifly153

I find I am using very little of the voice/data, since everyone uses WeChat and wireless is everywhere. Under my plan, I clocked in at 10 CNY for 2 weeks in May, total voice/data. In June, for 5 days, I clocked in at 2 CNY, mostly voice. When I am not in China, I am only clocking in that base fee of 6 CNY per month.

In fact, even if you are in China once a year, this alternative plan is worth it just as a world roaming phone costing only $1 a month vs AT&T's expensive plans.

moondog

I use quite a bit of voice (~2000 minutes/month), but most of this is incoming, and therefore free to me.

And, I've never encountered any problems with the data limits because -- as you point out -- most venues have WiFi. Just don't make a habit of updating software or downloading movies via 3G, and it's pretty hard to go wrong.

In short, I am very pleased with Unicom Set B; the same usage pattern sets me back $100/month when I'm the US (Tmobile or Verizon).

In addition to Unicom, I also have a very nice China Mobile number, which is based in Beijing, and is on a plan that doesn't serve my interests in the slightest. I continue to load it with money every month in order to keep the number active. The Mobile people tell me that the ONLY way to drop my plan is to visit a Mobile office in Beijing in person.

ifly153

Yes, I suppose I am a very light user compared to normal. I just have a few contacts and use the phone to set up in person meetings and I am not doing long calls. I probably used just 15-20 minutes voice and 20 MB data per week. So because of that, I guess I am happy just paying for what I use.

Still, the surprising thing of it all, why I am so happy with this plan, is the world roaming rates $0.15-$0.25 per minute, which I have used in Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan already.

xooz

A question of a different nature.... my son is in Beijing and has a local phone with no data that he uses there. I have signed up with T-Mobile in the US and his US phone number now has the T-Mobile international plan which is not bad. I was thinking that he should try to find a dual-sim phone and use both sims, with the local carrier as voice and the T-Mobile sim for data and so we can more easily call and text.

Is anyone doing this or something similar with a dual sim phone with both sims active? If so, any advice on local (Beijing) phone providers that have reasonable dual sim phones that would work in this scenario?

moondog

Now that it's possible to get extended batteries with spare extra SIM slots, there isn't much need to seek out multi-SIM phones.

Regarding your Tmobile roaming plan, that works in a pinch for tourists, but the speeds are painfully slow (e.g. certainly doesn't support VOIP in a usable manner) IME.

bentrmpt

I'll be flying into PEK on the way to XIY. Will I be able to find a Unicom "Plan B" data SIM during my layover? Or is this somthing I'll need to do once I get to XIY?

Thanks!

tboons

Hi,

I am heading to Shanghai in a month time for 4 days 3 nights. From what i read, China unicorn is the recommend choice? My needs are basically on data plan and it would be helpful for whatsapp, google maps etc.

May I know if I can get the prepaid plan, RMB6/month, then add on an appropriate data plan? cannot really find it online.

My usage for 4 days is expected to be about 500mb or above.

CHeers!

moondog

I have a hard time staying on top of the latest plans because they are constantly changing, and new plans are always being adding to the mix. A further complication is that 2g, 3g, and LTE all have different rates/rules.

Fortunately, it's easy to get info by calling Unicom, and their reps can move you to the plan of your choosing instantly.

BTW, I might be able to hook you up with an orphan SIM; PM sent.

trueblu

md and ifly know this far better than me, but getting data plans is not that straightforward in China for such a short visit, i.e. you can't (as far as I know) get a data plan from a kiosk vendor, you need to go to a Unicom office, which necessitates some Chinese fluency. And note that google maps (and most other google apps) only work intermittently, if at all, without a VPN.

tb

trueblu

Didn't see this post when I posted. But can you just buy credit, and then add a data plan by calling the reps from a kiosk-vended SIM?

tb

moondog

Since posting, it occurred to me that there probably isn't much point for him to go on a plan during a 4 day visit because most --though certainly not all-- new SIMs come loaded with a fixed amount of data/minutes. The SIM I'm offering up to him, for example, started out with 1g and 50 minutes of talk time (free incoming). That having been said, it's still worth calling Unicom because sometimes they pick a plan for you, which will surely drain down any excess funds if you are out of the country and don't stay on top of things.

allset2travel

Somehow I missed this thread until now. Thanks for sharing your experience.
My bold.
My usage is somewhat similar to your. I think I might give this plan a try. When you bought the SIM, was there a "plan" name other than being the" cheapest"? Was the SIM a microSIM in form factor?

Do you think China Unicom offers the same plan in other cities? I do like the fact that I can keep the number for 6 cny per month.
Thanks