Staying Connected: Using Your Cell Phone in China, Internet Access, Wi-Fi Coverage and SIM cards

Staying connected with family and friends while traveling through China is now easier than it ever was and getting more accesible and convenient as technology and internet use spreads throughout the country.

The reach however is unevenly spread, so while in the major cities of Beijing or Shanghai, finding a wireless hotspot or cell phone coverage (even in the Metro) is not a problem, if you travel away from the major urban areas, in some remote regions access might be a bit more hit or miss.

But in general while staying connected is relatively easy, there are some golden rules so you don't end up with a megasize bill at the end of your trip, specially if you are using your own cell phone plan from home.

Just as important as the connection or device is what you will use in terms of applications or services, some of the most popular social media, e-mail and messaging sites and apps are blocked, so using Facebook, Twitter or Instagram won't work, most Google apps now seem to be blocked, while Apple's iMessage and Face Time still work most of the time. The situation is very fluid so whatever works today may not be working tomorrow. This also applies to News websites, streaming sites, etc.

Here are some tips to keep you connected on the go. Although we strive to keep this information current, please keep in mind that when it comes to technology and connectivity things change rapidly. We apologize in advance if something is no longer the case and would appreciate your input so we can keep this page up to date.

Internet and WiFi in China

Wireless Internet coverage in China has virtually exploded in the last years with infrastructure that rivals and surpases what is available in many cities in the West. Some cities in China offer free city-wide Wi-Fi, such as Hangzhou, others offer free Wi-Fi in many public places. Shanghai for example, offers free Wi-Fi in the Bund and the YuYuan Gardens.

Using the free wireless coverage will be your best bet to stay in touch, check e-mails or the weather. You can use your smartphone, laptop, iPad or tablet to access the internet anywhere there is a Wi-Fi connection or hotspot available.

First check if free wireless service is available at your hotel. In urban areas, even the smallest of hostels will have wireless internet, whether it is free to guests varies from property to property. Sometimes there is free wifi at the lobby only, if so, you will need to get a code to access the wireless connection.
Use one of the many free hotspots throughout the cities, at the airports, train stations and shopping malls.
Wireless internet is also available in many buses and trains. Beijing has the broadest WiFi coverage on buses in the country with about 10,000 internet-enabled buses through China Mobile's network. The Shanghai-Beijing highspeed train also has wireless internet access as are all Hong Kong metro trains.
And of course, there is also free WiFi at Starbucks and McDonalds. You will need to get the access code from the attendants.
Also note that many of the social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter are not accesible in China. WeChat and Skype (so far) do work. WhatsApp and Snapchat? Nope.
If you use the Cloud, check that your app is not blocked in China to make sure you will be able to get to your documents. Dropbox and Google Drive are blocked in China but not in Hong Kong or Macau, as are many other Google-related sites, YouTube, GMail. iCloud works fine in China.
Best thing is to have a backup plan and install a VPN to be able to use all your messaging apps, access cloud documents, get directions on google maps, check emails, etc. without worrying that it might not work. The process is extremely simple and inexpensive and can save you a lot of hassle. Furthermore, it is NOT illegal to use a VPN. That said, illegal activities (i.e. downloading copyrighted material) remain illegal with or without a VPN.
A VPN needs to be installed before you arrive in China, once you arrive you won't be able to do it because, well, most VPNs are blocked in China as well. We use NordVPN which has very affordable plans and it has always worked fine for us. Some of our friends in China use ExpressVPN.

Using your Cell Phone in China

Will my mobile phone work in China? It depends. There are two issues:

Can your phone communicate in Chinese frequencies: Without getting too technical, the newer and higher-end the phone the higher the likelihood it will work. If you have a GSM tri-band or quad-band phone, you should be ok. The North American dual-band will not work in China.
All iPhones are quad-band and most of the latest Samsung Galaxy phones are either tri- or quad-band and will also work.
How do you know if you have a tri-band or quad-band phone? Check your user's manual or look up your model number on the internet.
Your service provider plan: Many service providers, in the United States in particular, require that international service be activated. If you do not activate it before leaving home, your phone will not work in China or any other international destination.

Some tips when using your home cell phone in China:

Check the rates you will be charged per phone call and text message. International rates are expensive, even if you are using your phone to call local numbers, because your foreign phone is roaming in the Chinese cellular network and is charging you international roaming rates. Consider signing up for a special international plan that could save you money. Most providers offer plans for two weeks or a month with lower charges per minute, text message and data.
Roaming charges may rack up without you even knowing and even if you are not making any calls or sending any text messages. If your phone receives a call for example, even if you don't answer it and goes straight to voice-mail, you will be charged.
Be aware of data roaming charges if using apps and services like e-mail through your smartphone. Sometimes data refreshes might occur periodically without you noticing, check the settings in your device to allow for manual refresh or make sure it is either on airplane mode or totally off to avoid any unwanted roaming charges.
If you are planning on using your mobile phone or LTE / 3-4G-enabled iPad or tablet a lot, getting a local Chinese SIM card might make more sense.

Getting a China SIM Card

You can buy a prepaid SIM card in China at any of the local wireless and telecom outlets throughout the city.

You can easily install it into your cell phone or tablet, this is a great way to save money if you will be using wireless networks a lot. You must have an unlocked phone for this to work.

What's an unlocked phone? It is a phone that can be used on any network. Many U.S. carriers in particular "lock" the phones you buy through their plans so they can only be used on their networks. Most phones sold in Europe and Asia are unlocked. As far as I know, a "locked" phone can be "unlocked" but that is beyond our discussion here.

If your phone is still under contract, you can ask your carrier to "unlock it" temporarily while you travel (whether they allow it will depend on your carrier's policies). You can always buy a cheap unlocked phone from Amazon, they come as cheap as $50 or less sometimes. Also, if you have a locked phone, one of the best alternatives to stay connected is a portable wifi device, see below.

In China, the three major players are:

China Unicom (WCDMA or GSM) (AT&T and T-Mobil in the U.S. run on GSM, Europe uses GSM)
China Mobile (WCDMA or GSM)
China Telecom (CDMA) (Sprint and Verizon in the U.S. run on CDMA)

They use different frequencies so make sure you choose the one that fits your device.

All three have branches, kiosks and outlets throughout the cities, at the airports and train stations and getting a SIM card at any of them or any of the mobile shops in town is easy enough. They all have prepaid and pay-as-you-go plans which are convenient for short-term travelers.

Make sure you get the right size SIM card for your phone or tablet. Most SIM cards are now 3 in 1 so will come in all three sizes, but double-check just in case. Older iphones use Micro-Sim, Iphone 5 and later the smaller Nano-Sim Card. iPads 4 and older use the Micro-Sim, the iPad mini and Air use the Nano-Sim. The latest Samsung Smartphones use the Nano-Sim, the oldest models use the Micro-Sim or the traditional SIM card.

How much are SIM cards in China?

Just as an example to give you an idea, a Unicom SIM Card with a prepaid plan and no contract for the iPad was Rmb 80 (about US$13) for 2 GB of data for one month. This was data only, no voice and the monthly plan is exactly that, a calendar month, not 30 days from start date.

There are so many different plans, voice and data, data only, monthly plans, prepaid plans, etc. with new ones being added every day, there will definitely be one to fit your requirements. Best thing is to get to one of the mobile shops, the ones at the airport speak English well and they can advise as to the best options for your needs.

You might need to provide an address in China and sometimes they ask for your passport but for the most part, the process is quite straightforward.

Also, you can check on Amazon and have a China SIM Card shipped home before your trip. You will need to activate the card once you land in China and will need to adjust your APN settings on your phone. (Do a quick look up before you arrive as to how to do this for your particular phone model and the SIM network you purchased i.e. "china unicom apn settings android")

Get Your Own Portable 4G LTE Global WIFI Hotspot

This is by far one of the easiest ways to stay connected and specially if you travel a lot internationally, having your own WiFi Global spot is a lot more convenient and in the long run more than pays for itself.

What is a portable Wi-Fi device? This is a handy gadget that fits in your pocket and enables you to connect several devices (we could connect up to 5 devices) i.e. phones, laptops or tablets, so you can enjoy stable and fast internet connection everywhere you go.

The ones we have tried come with an integrated global SIM that works in over 100 countries, and coverage is available in China. It makes it a lot easier having your own WiFi hotspot as soon as you land, no need to buy local SIM cards, reconfigure APN settings to get everything working, you just simply turn it on and start surfing. It is also a much safer alternative than the public WiFi spots. This is for WiFi (data only), no voice. If you need to make calls you would have to use one of the apps that enable calling i.e. wechat, skype, etc.

The downside of course is the upfront cost of the device itself and in many cases (but not all) rates will be slightly higher than if you had a local SIM card but exponentially cheaper than roaming charges by your home provider. The data rates offered in China are more than competitive and as low as US$1.50 for 300mb of data per day.

We have used and really enjoyed tripsing around with many different devices and services throughout Hong Kong, China, Singapore and many countries in South East Asia, the United States, throughout Europe, Central America, South Africa, Zambia... We use the following and have been very happy with them:

SkyRoam SIMO Solis

You can buy, upfront cost for the device US$139.99 for Skyroam Light and $179.99 for Skyroam X, (we have the light version and it performs beautifully, Skyroam X has a built-in 8MP camera, speaker, microphone, etc.)
Connect up to 10 devices
Coverage offered in 135+ countries including China
Can also use as a power bank to charge other devices
For heavy users, buy a One-Day Pass with unlimited data US$9
For sporadic users, buy 1GB GoData Plan for one month US$9 (can be used in any of the 130+ countries covered)

More info, buy or rent Skyroam Solis, enter promo code HKTRAVELLER for 10% discount, or buy from Amazon.

GlocalMe

There are several models, we have one of the older ones, the GlocalMe G3 4G LTE Global Hotspot, is a bit chunkier than the newer models but still performs flawlessly. Upfront cost for the devices is US$169.99 and can be bought at Amazon.com.
Connect up to 10 devices
Coverage offered in 140+ countries including China
Can also use as a power bank to charge other devices
Has 2 additional SIM card slots so you can insert a local SIM card if desired
Very flexible with many global, regional or country-specific plans to choose from, China data plans include:
- 300 mb day pass US$1.50
- 1GB for 7 days US$4
- 1GB for 30 days US$9
- 3GB for 30 days US$10
Global/Regional plans include:
- 1GB for 1 year US$36 global use
- 1GB for 30 days for use in China, Australia, New Zealand US$18
- Unlimited Data for 1 year (includes 58 countries) US$388
- There are many more global and regional packages, world travelers are bound to find something to accomodate their needs.
Grea app, easy to use and purchase data packages
You get a 10-minute free wifi grace period upon landing at your new destination, really useful if you forgot to buy a data package or in the unlikely event you have any issue connecting

More Info at www.glocalme.com

The eSIM alternative

We have been using this method lately and has proven to be one of the best and easiest deals, not only for our travels to China and Asia, but anywhere around the world.

Your phone must be e-SIM compatible and unlocked (most newer models are eSIM compatible, i.e. Apple iPhones starting from iPhone 8 and later)
No bulky portable device to carry around
You download and activate a China eSIM (or whatever country you will be traveling to) directly to your phone before you leave home
Buy a data plan that meets your needs, here are some examples:
- ChinaCom - 1 GB - 7 days - US$5
- ChinaCom - 2 GB - 15 days - US$8.50
- AsiaLink (13 countries) 3 GB - 30 days - US$13
You can do this ahead of time, the data plan will not activate until you land in China
There are several eSIM providers, we use AIRALO which is a Singapore based company and offers wide eSIM coverage for 200+ countries, use my referral code MIRIAM8397 and we both get US$3 towards our next data plan purchase.

Charging your Devices in China

Electricity in China is 220 Volts, alternating at 50 cycles per second. This is twice the standard voltage than in North America and some Latin American countries which run on 110V 60Hz.

The standard wall plug in most households in China has a grounding pin and two power conducing pins in a V-shape.

Find out what you will need to charge all of your devices in China including cameras, phones, tablets, laptops, etc.