Internaut

Regarding phones.... I can, umm, give you the perspective of someone who works in telecoms (i.e. me), On a technical level it is probably entirely correct to say iPhone is better. If you actually look at compatibility of most phones bought outside of China:

• Few or none are 3G compatible (Chinese developed it's own standards, TD-SCDMA, to avoid paying licencing fees).
• For 4G, we're looking at 50-80% compatibility depending on network, for most Android phones, with China Mobile being more problematic in terms of supported bands.
• Whereas many iPhone models show 100% 4G compatibility with China.

The app store situation is more complicated. Didi is not available in the UK Apple and Google Play App stores. Will being in China, with an iPhone, mean I get access to the Chinese app store? However, for Android, I was able to obtain Didi Greater China from two different sources: The Huawei app gallery that comes with my P20 and also a direct download of the APKs from Didi website.

As for WeChat, I've still not determined how to get Chinese WeChat (I have and use WeChat already, on my Android Phone, but understand versions downloaded in China are different). This is an area where Apple might have an advantage (assuming I can't somehow obtain a China based app store app for Android - my research continues in that area).

Maps: Everything I've read suggests Apple Maps might have an advantage for someone who can't read Chinese. However, on the Android side, Here announced a partnership with Navigo earlier this year. I don't know if this is live yet. The Here We Go app is, in my experience, excellent.

dcisneros

If you are thinking on putting Wechat just for your trip don´t do it. Whatssapp and LINE work partially in China. You would be able to use them the same way as SMS but cannot send images and videos.

travelinmanS

moondog

What's good is a messaging app if nobody you interact with uses it? Wx is MUCH more than a messaging app btw.

moondog

微信 and WeChat are only slightly different in terms of functionality. Perhaps you are thinking of accounts tied to Chinese v foreign phone numbers? Some people in our FT group have foreign numbers, and I've noticed that they are unable to utilize certain minor features on occasion, especially payment related stuff. Meanwhile, some foreign OAs and MPs (e.g WSJ) are only accessible from foreign accounts.

I wouldn't overthink this. Just being on grid is most important, and it appears that you already are.

Ricebucket

Moondog, you must not have read beyond my first paragraph, where I said:

"Note that the above applies only if you're on phone purchased overseas using a Chinese SIM. If you're roaming then you're not behind the GFW so this won't apply. Likewise, Android phones purchased in China have all Google references removed/fixed."

So of course your phone works. But I was replying to the OP, who I assume is not going to buy a new phone in China. All of the issues I mentioned are real issues for travelers to China, with major inconveniences. For example, the Wifi problem would cause major problems at the hotel, if the OP wants to connect to Wifi there. I assume most hotel travelers do use hotel wifi. Likewise, the fact that Google Play is installed DOES NOT change anything. You will NOT be able to connect to the store and download anything.

You're giving the OP information based on your limited experiences with a local phone that will not apply to him. If he follows your advice, he will be in for a rude awakening.

Given the OP's questions, I would assume he doesn't speak Chinese. In which case why would you recommend Baidu maps? Apple Maps is in English. That's really the best option. Your recommendation of Baidu Maps is not going to work well.

Ricebucket

You're overthinking this. It just means that no one is maintaining China maps at Google. The "come back" dragonfly project is dead already. There's been public reporting of that.

Ricebucket

Given what has happened, I'm pretty sure my friend is glad that she did put down a real address. What if she tried to leave and her record was marked as not having registered at the Hilton? In the end, she went to the police station to register after the police showed up, and all was well.

Ricebucket

Re: App store:

You'll be able to access the US App Store in China with your US Apple Account. (I assume u're American, but this really applies to any other country as well.) It will be slower, but stuff should download. All app prices would be in the currency of the App Store you have access to (the US one would be in dollars). This is all default, you do not have to change anything or tweak any settings.

Wechat, Didi, and most (but not all) apps that Chinese people use are on the foreign app stores, even if they are offered only in Chinese language. This also includes baidu maps and autonavi map apps. In fact, you can download them now. No need to wait until you arrive in China. Try it. (Might actually be a faster download...)

Some apps like Wechat and Didi have english language UIs available (it's the same app, but a different setting to toggle language). Other apps like Baidu do not seem to have English, although I have not really needed to verify this...

I'm almost certain that the Android Wechat on Google Play is the same as the one you'd download domestically. Any feature differences you may see are due to language setting and/or account settings. i.e. foreign account may not have access to some functions. The store of download and location of download shouldn't matter.

moondog

If she had written Hilton, the police wouldn't have been able to harass the host.

moondog

My company's developers tell me that 微信 and WeChat are different apps, and I've never questioned them on this because I assume they know what they are talking about. See here: https://www.zhihu.com/question/22110798

Ricebucket

Shanghai. It was 5 years ago.

Ricebucket

I use Wechat from the US iOS app store. I looked at the link you gave and I have the games that they're referring to. Initially, when games first came out, it was only on the Chinese UI. But that was a settings toggle and has nothing to do with a different app (I remember checking myself). But games are available in English now. Note that most of the responses in that thread are pretty old, probably around the period when games first appeared. I'm reasonably sure that on iOS, it's the same app. The name of the app show up differently depending on your system language setting.

I cannot vouch for the Android version, but I would think it's the probably same too.

But in practice, it probably doesn't make much of a difference even if they are diff apps. I think the major functionality should be the same.

tauphi

You could create an iTunes account for China to allow you to access these apps. But I agree with you it's not as straightforward as downloading an Android app.

tauphi

Perhaps. But Android push notifications mysteriously started working through the GFW around the same time.