Job Discussion Forums

[Ozone]

Hi,

I live in Denmark. I am going to teach in ShenZhen for a month this summer. I've never been anywhere in Asia before....I have two possibly silly technical questions.

1. I am bringing my laptop--what sort of adaptor do I need?

2. My cellphone--if I get a sim card in China--does my cellphone work over there (I have a nokia 3310)?.....and what sort of sim cards are available? I really just want to be able to SMS with people back in Denmark.

Thanks!

Kelly

[randyj]

Kelly, I lack knowledge of the cellular phone question, but probably your laptop will work without any changes. The Dell I brought to China two years ago functioned without a problem. The computer's power supply accepted the Chinese voltage and converted it to the proper input for the laptop, as it was designed to do. Having said that, I should note that power surges in China occur relatively often. A prudent person should buy a surge protector in China to guard the power supply. I remember shelling out about $35 US for a quite heavy box to smooth the spikes.

[Artie]

Hi,
I do not know anything about adaptors but can give some info about cell phones. In China there are two major companies: China Mobile and China Unicom. You should choose China Mobile (the service is better and a lot of discounts). Your Nokia will work here. To make international calls and send SMSs you must buy a SIM card with a number that begins with 135... (there is a small monthly fee).

Hope this helps.

[MyTurnNow]

First of all: interesting use of the words "practical" and "China" in the same sentence.

Adapting power: Chinese household electricity is 220V, 50Hz. Your laptop is most likely easily adapted to this...check the power input label or your owner's manual. Yes, a surge protector is a great idea for protecting your investment.
In general what's tough to adapt here is not the voltage but the frequency...not sure what you have there but 60Hz is common in a lot of places. Items with lots of timer chips (video equipment, clocks, etc.) may go absolutely gobblers if you try to use them here...again, check labels before packing. Many electronic items are smarter to simply buy here.

It's also good to buy a set or two (or more) of plug adapters before coming here. I think parallel-array 2- or trianglar-array 3-straight-prong plugs are most common here but there are no real apparent standards. I've seen the above arrangements, parallel 2-round-pin sockets, those intimidating heavy 3-prong Hong Kong-style monsters, and old Soviet souvenirs requiring a Committee and a case of vodka to operate successfully. Be ready for anything.
Special problems if you use North American-style plugs. If you have plugs with the 3rd ground pin better bring adapters that will convert them back to 2-prong plugs. If you have the directional plugs (the ones where one prong is wider than the other) you'll often need to either adapt them to straight prongs again or be prepared to file off the fins.

Mobiles: Chinese companies support GSM and CDMA type mobiles. GSMs are more common but CDMA seems to be growing and adding more services in a lot of areas. Nokia is popular here and you will likely be fine.

There are 2 companies as reported: China Mobile and China Unicom. I think CM has slightly better technology but got so infuriated at their chowder-headed stupidity that I am switching back to CU. It's really a coin-toss choice.

When it's time to buy your SIM do tag along and ask to have the options explained to you (I am assuming you aren't fluent in Mandarin...). There is quite a profusion of plans, ranging from long-term contracts to pay-as-you-go SIMs that involve buying more time on phone cards to pay-as-you-go SIMs that involve a trip to a bank to buy more time, all at different pricing rates. Have fun.

MT