xxrice

I'm going to China on business soon and might not have a company provided cell phone and my sprint network phone is not a option. Am I wrong to assume I can buy a prepaid type phone when I arrive at the Shanghai airport? Also are overseas purchased prepaid phones unlocked?

Thanks

weekilter

You can buy new unlocked phones probably for a hefty premium. If you've got the time and you're not rushed get yourself a quad-band GSM phone here in the states either through eBay or Craigslist. A Motorola Razr would be a good older phone. You'll want to make sure that it's unlocked so you can put any foreign SIM in it. I don't know if you'll be able to pick up a SIM at the airport, but I'd make a guess that you can probably pick one up at a phone store in Shanghai. You may even be able to get a SIM starter pack at a corner store. It's much easier to get SIMs outside the US. I don't know what the policy of Chinese mobile providers, but generally if you buy it from the provider it's usually locked depending on the laws of the particular country.

For about the equivalent of $10 you can get a prepaid account on either Chinese provider China Mobile or China Unicom.

nkedel

Or buy a locked one (used, locked to T-mobile or AT&T) here for a little less, and get it unlocked there.

I don't know for sure in China, but in a lot of Asia, there is also a much bigger organized market in used phones, and independent cell shops where you can buy them. A great example is the 4th floor of MBK in Thailand, which has literally hundreds of them in one place.

PTravel

I'll echo the recommendation to get an unlocked phone here -- they're cheap on eBay. SIM cards are easy to buy almost everywhere in China, and very cheap.

xxrice

Thanks for the information. I'm going to be able to use a company provided phone for this trip, but I'll find one on eBay or amazon for the future.