I beg to differ; I'm currently paying something like y98 for set B, and have yet to go over any of my allotments, apart from SMS, which is cheap anyway. That's $15 for a plan that would cost $50 in the US or $60 in Europe. Second, you can occasionally buy some very good (i.e. far better than set B) two year packages on Taobao that come out to around $6 per month. Third, when I was in France last year, I found that China Mobile roaming was actually cheaper than the SIM I picked up there. Same goes for the US. I bought a prepaid SIM there, which was obviously targeted at people with bad credit, and the rates were simply off the charts. If you load y300 on China Mobile, you should be able to last a month in the US or Europe, as long as you don't go crazy.

We have different shopping and usage patterns. I pay a lot less outside of China than in for mobile connectivity.

Nothing in China can compare to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Mobile. I do see the Chinese market changing.

Glee! A sleeping thread to wake up!

I am travelling Shanghai in the next few weeks and already know my hotel wants to charge an arm and a leg for Internet, and I don't play that game. Two options I have:

1. Use Data Roaming (Daily Flat Rate) on my iPhone from Japan. It's about USD $30 a day, all you can eat.

2. Get a Data activated SIM for my unlocked Novatel 2372. (I will need to manually input the APN).

Whats the current recommendation for this situation?

Really appreciate any new info.

Robert

What's your hotel (free wifi is the norm now, especially in the lobby)?

How long are you staying?

Will your stay include days in both May and June (this is important because Unicom plans are based on calendar months... but, are still far cheaper than $30/day in any case)?

I understand the "don't want to encourage hotels to charge for internet"...but even the most high-end hotels are not going to charge US$30/day for internet...having said that, at least with your iPhone, you will have data 'on the go', which is useful e.g. for google maps, which I find invaluable in China.

I'm sure they are here, but I don't see much mifi usage in China...

tb

Not much mifi as you can use your phone as a hotspot.
$30 a day? I spend less per month for my China Unicom SIM with data.

I can usually get away with y100/month or less.

Clearly I am at the wrong hotel. About USD $20 a day....

http://shanghai.bund.hyatt.com/en/ho...et-access.html

I will be there for two days of this month, and two days of next month....

For the additional USD $10 to roam on my iPhone suddenly the cost doesn't seem so bad! Ha!

Looking for some advice on buying a SIM card for use primarily in Shanghai. I fly into PEK first, stay 1 day, then fly into SHA, stay 1 week. A few moths later, I have another trip going back to Shanghai staying 3 weeks. I understand that China Unicom prepaid SIM is probably the best for me for a mix of voice, SMS, and data.

I heard it is easy to buy a SIM card in PEK, so should I just buy it there first before going onto SHA? Or is it going to cost more to buy at PEK and use in Shanghai? Is it easy to buy a SIM at SHA airport also?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

First of all, you shouldn't get SIM cards at airports unless you are really pressed for time because you'll overpay, and might have a hard time getting cards with fast data.

Second, Beijing (the city) is no easier than Shanghai (the city) for purchasing SIMs. In fact, the drill is basically the same almost everywhere, though some cities are somewhat vigilant about constraining third party sales (which is what you want because waiting in line at Mobile or Unicom is annoying).

Third, I've found that with Unicom domestic roaming is a trivial expense. With Mobile it's a bit more of an issue, but for Y30/month you can make it a non-issue. Basically, the days of keeping separate SIMs for the cities you spend the most time in are pretty much a thing of the past.

So, since the information previously provided in the thread (4th floor of the Electronics Building) is now a bit dated could someone kindly let me know if that is still what is required for a non-resident to get one of these Unicom cards?

To recap:
arrive: May 30
dep: Jun 2
Data only required as I will be using the SIM in a MiFi unit. (larger old style of SIM).

Thanks again,
RDP

If you're referring to Shanghai, I believe Xiangyang Electronics Market is in fact closed. I'll update this thread when I find another market that I like. However, 3g SIMs are increasingly finding their way to the newspaper stands (it was only a matter of time because they are close to overtaking 2g SIMs in terms of total volume).

In Beijing, Buy Now certainly still exists, as do dozens of electronics malls in Zhongguancun (I'm not sure about place near Chaoyang Park West Gate; last time I was there, I had a feeling that its days were numbered due to the fancy construction surrounding it). So, if you don't feel like asking around at newspaper stands, and have other electronics needs, these aren't bad options.

Thanks a lot for the advice, based on your advice, I am thinking its easiest for me to buy a SIM card when I am in Beijing (the city). I understand that I shouldn't worry about roaming charges buying a SIM in Beijing and using in Shanghai. But what about Shanghai locals calling/texting me, is it a problem if I have a Beijing phone number?

-there is no such thing as roaming rates on texts within China (that I'm aware of)
-this is kind of a moot point because SMS is no longer common (i.e. chat apps have taken over, much to the chagrin of the operators... witness Mobile's recent earnings discussion)
-long distance minutes usually do cost some small amount of money (varies by provider/plan) and typically aren't included in base minutes, but I don't notice anyone really caring about this; plus, keep phone calls brief or not calling at all is considered good manners
-finally, in many cases numbers that would otherwise be considered long distance are treated as local when they are roaming in your local area

Mifi rental shanghai
 

I promise I have searched but can not find the answer!
I am in Shanghai four to five times a year and normally my cell bid is ludicrous even using all the usual advice.
What is a good mifi service to rent in Shanghai for a week at a time?