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Hi All,
Today i managed to purchase a local SIM card after visiting a number of stores that won’t accept foreigners.
Anyway i signed up for a plan that included data (up to 4G) but all i can seem to get is 2G. I’ve tried to search mobile data settings but i am not sure how relevant the information is. Is there someone who has 3G or 4G access that could share what their APN details are?
Also not sure how i am supposed to pay my account each month? I gathered she said 1st of the month and that i would have to go into the store. Does that sound right? Surely there is an easier way.
Thanks for your help.
Regards, Emma
Check if your phone is compatible with China Mobile’s 4G bands (38, 39, 40, 41). In general US/EUR phones will not be able to connect to them.
You can add credit to your account by going to convenience stores and telling the cashier that you want to top up your phone (provide your phone number and service provider). Most convenience stores will have an electronic kiosk where you can do this and pay by swiping your bank card. However the most convenient way is to top up via wechat or online via taobao which also gives you a slight discount.
Hi Emma,
I also got to Chengdu about 2 weeks ago and got a China Mobile SIM only to discover that 2G was the best I could get. It is basically useless for me, so I did some research and China Unicom works with most international phones at 4G. So I managed to get a China Unicom SIM. Apparently there is also only one place foreigners can get the China Unicom SIM in Chengdu – Their head office. Its opposite the Giant Bicycles main shop in Chengdu… I don’t know the address, but I have it saved in my maps if you need. I would recommend to cut your losses with China Mobile and move over to China Unicom as soon as possible.
Peter
The China Unicom shop that Peter mentioned is located on Kehua road, in south-eastern Chengdu. Between Sichuan University and the southern point of 2nd ring road. They will sell you a SIM card, but won’t do jack all as far as giving you the APN settings you need to use your data plan. (I specifically requested these settings from them, but rather than tell me the required configuration, they tried to sell me a new phone that I didn’t need.)
Hey Ray,
Then you have a phone that can use TDW-CDMA. Its a 3g/4g technology developed in China so that China didn’t have to pay patents for the standard W-CDMA technology. Its only used in China, so only phones made for the Chinese market usually support them. So, for example, if you bought your phone in China, then it will work fine on China Mobiles network. Most 3g/4g phones bought outside China only support W-CDMA. China Unicom uses a W-CDMA network, so phones bought outside china can enjoy 3g/4g on China Unicom but not on China Mobile.
Thats my understanding of the issue in any case. Feel free to correct me.
Peter
I was able to get a China Unicom SIM card at one of their branch offices in Gaoxin (High Tech Zone) if that is easier for you to get to, Emma. It is on ??????. My boyfriend and I went two separate times and had no problems, though it takes a bit of time and you’ll need your passport.
I just recently learned how to top up my phone on Taobao (https://www.chengduliving.com/forums/topic/topping-up-phone-with-chinese-bank-card/). Before that, I asked my Chinese friends to do it for me, which worked well. Basically, you’ll get a text message when you’re low or out of credit. As soon as you or someone tops up your phone, you’ll be good to go again.
Thanks Peter. I did buy it here, in the Motorola Chinese website. The disadvantage is the inability to use apps on the Google play site
Hey Ray,
Its only used in China, so only phones made for the Chinese market usually support them. So, for example, if you bought your phone in China, then it will work fine on China Mobiles network. Most 3g/4g phones bought outside China only support W-CDMA. China Unicom uses a W-CDMA network, so phones bought outside china can enjoy 3g/4g on China Unicom but not on China Mobile.
Thats my understanding of the issue in any case. Feel free to correct me.
Peter
Actually there are certain “global” models of the iPhone 6, 6 Plus that can use all 4GLTE bands worldwide including all 3 Chinese networks (Mobile, Telecom, Unicom).
I think the Huawei Ascend Mate 2 and OnePlus phones can also.
Emma,
If you have a phone from the US and you want it to work with China Mobile, there are shops all over the city that can root your phone and change the settings. I had a Motorola Droid Pro a few years ago and there was a shop by Sichuan University’s South gate, kind’ve close to the Caribbean plaza, that got my phone to work with the 3g (back in 2012) service from China Mobile. It cost 50 RMB at that time. You could also try China Unicom. If you speak some Chinese, just ask the rep at China Unicom if you can try their sim card to see if your phone picks up the data. That would be the easiest solution.
Emma,
If you have a phone from the US and you want it to work with China Mobile, there are shops all over the city that can root your phone and change the settings. I had a Motorola Droid Pro a few years ago and there was a shop by Sichuan University’s South gate, kind’ve close to the Caribbean plaza, that got my phone to work with the 3g (back in 2012) service from China Mobile. It cost 50 RMB at that time. You could also try China Unicom. If you speak some Chinese, just ask the rep at China Unicom if you can try their sim card to see if your phone picks up the data. That would be the easiest solution.
Getting a US-bought phone to work on Chinese cellular networks does not require root. Your Motorola Droid Pro was probably purchased from Verizon. It’s a phone with GSM capability (can be used basically anywhere in the world), but it was locked to Verizon’s CDMA network. All you had to do was ask them to give you a free (provided your account is in good standing) unlock code for it to work on networks other than Verizon.
Emma’s problem is completely different. Her phone is already GSM unlocked, but she chose to go with China Mobile which has the proprietary TD-SCDMA 3G network that basically doesn’t work with any phone bought outside China. Chances are Emma’s phone will have no problems getting on China Unicom’s GSM 3G.
For 4G on China Mobile there are a few outside-of-China phones that do work, namely global versions of the iPhone6, 6 Plus and newer and some global Chinese brand phones.
TL;DR: Whether your phone will work on Chinese 4G networks or not is dependent upon hardware, not software. Check to see if your phone supports TD-LTE bands: 38, 39, 40, (China Mobile) and 41 (China Mobile, Unicom, Telecom)
Just check the specs of your specific phone model online, because if you go into a store and try to ask a Chinese rep about this, you’re going to have a bad bad time.
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