Phone and SIM Card for China Trip

[Krolic]

I am going to China in about month and was looking for a cheap phone and SIM card to get. Have in mind in a Canadian, so that could limit my options on what's available. 

 

Edit: Just looking for cheap (50-100 CAD) phone suggestions and potentially Chinese SIM options for about a two week trip. Note cannot speak Chinese/Mandarin/Cantonese. 

[Himommies]

Just now, Krolic said:

I am going to China in about month and was looking for a cheap phone and SIM card to get. Have in mind in a Canadian, so that could limit my options on what's available. 

Bring your own phone and buy a prepaid SIM. There cheap as fuck. Last time I was there it was like 10gb of Data and liek 500 mins for around 15 CDN

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

China eh?  Don't bring a phone.  Just don't.  Leave it at home. 

 

https://www.pcmag.com/news/369368/china-is-installing-spyware-on-tourists-phones

http://www.iphonehacks.com/2019/07/china-border-surveillance-install-spyware.html

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-07-03/china-forcing-tourists-install-spy-app-steals-personal-data

... and a couple thousand more links if you want

 

You don't want the filthy stuff they install on tourists' phones.  Such nation states usually embed their spyware in the device's firmware, which means it will persist through reinstalls, formats, resets etc. 

If they take your phone from your line of sight, plug anything into it or mess around with it for more than 3 seconds, you should factory reset it and then throw it in the nearest garbage can. They'll already have your entire history, but at least they can't just keep tracking you for the rest of your phone's life.

 

Don't get one locally either, they can seize it at any moment, install their spyware and download all your data. 

If you do insist on being stupid and buying one, don't link it to any existing account and don't use it to contact anyone you know.  At that point you may as well not have a phone.  So don't bring one. 

 

EDIT : Same with laptops.  Or visits to the US or Russia.  You just can't trust those countries' governments and security agencies, so don't take electronics across the border unless you plan on throwing them away.

[Krolic]

34 minutes ago, Himommies said:

Bring your own phone and buy a prepaid SIM. There cheap as fuck. Last time I was there it was like 10gb of Data and liek 500 mins for around 15 CDN

Ok, that's what I want for a SIM. How did you get it, and how can I?

[Himommies]

20 minutes ago, Krolic said:

Ok, that's what I want for a SIM. How did you get it, and how can I?

I went to a China telecom store in a mall, though all of the major companies in china sell them. I speak Chinese so it was pretty easy, I think you can also buy them online and have it delivered. When going to a store bring Cash. In china just bring cash for everything honestly since credit/debit cards arent used widely. Bring your passport too cause they need the Id i think. If you don't speak Chinese honestly if you point at your phone and show them your passport theirs usually 1 or 2 people who can speak English and they can probably figure it out from there.  

[Krolic]

22 minutes ago, Captain Chaos said:

China eh?  Don't bring a phone.  Just don't.  Leave it at home. 

 

https://www.pcmag.com/news/369368/china-is-installing-spyware-on-tourists-phones

http://www.iphonehacks.com/2019/07/china-border-surveillance-install-spyware.html

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-07-03/china-forcing-tourists-install-spy-app-steals-personal-data

... and a couple thousand more links if you want

 

You don't want the filthy stuff they install on tourists' phones.  Such nation states usually embed their spyware in the device's firmware, which means it will persist through reinstalls, formats, resets etc. 

If they take your phone from your line of sight, plug anything into it or mess around with it for more than 3 seconds, you should factory reset it and then throw it in the nearest garbage can. They'll already have your entire history, but at least they can't just keep tracking you for the rest of your phone's life.

 

Don't get one locally either, they can seize it at any moment, install their spyware and download all your data. 

If you do insist on being stupid and buying one, don't link it to any existing account and don't use it to contact anyone you know.  At that point you may as well not have a phone.  So don't bring one. 

 

EDIT : Same with laptops.  Or visits to the US or Russia.  You just can't trust those countries' governments and security agencies, so don't take electronics across the border unless you plan on throwing them away.

Why I said I wanted a cheap phone, one I only need for the trip. And I've travelled to the US constantly without ever having any issue.

[Himommies]

4 minutes ago, Krolic said:

Why I said I wanted a cheap phone, one I only need for the trip. And I've travelled to the US constantly without ever having any issue.

Just bring your own phone. AFAIK as long as you don't go to contested areas like Xinjiang, Tibet or whatever is going on in Hong Kong right now you should be good. I am kinda biased because I'm Chinese but I haven't had anything installed on my phone at least and its probaly comparable to what the NSA does in the states

[Firewrath9]

32 minutes ago, Captain Chaos said:

China eh?  Don't bring a phone.  Just don't.  Leave it at home. 

 

https://www.pcmag.com/news/369368/china-is-installing-spyware-on-tourists-phones

http://www.iphonehacks.com/2019/07/china-border-surveillance-install-spyware.html

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-07-03/china-forcing-tourists-install-spy-app-steals-personal-data

... and a couple thousand more links if you want

 

You don't want the filthy stuff they install on tourists' phones.  Such nation states usually embed their spyware in the device's firmware, which means it will persist through reinstalls, formats, resets etc. 

If they take your phone from your line of sight, plug anything into it or mess around with it for more than 3 seconds, you should factory reset it and then throw it in the nearest garbage can. They'll already have your entire history, but at least they can't just keep tracking you for the rest of your phone's life.

 

Don't get one locally either, they can seize it at any moment, install their spyware and download all your data. 

If you do insist on being stupid and buying one, don't link it to any existing account and don't use it to contact anyone you know.  At that point you may as well not have a phone.  So don't bring one. 

 

EDIT : Same with laptops.  Or visits to the US or Russia.  You just can't trust those countries' governments and security agencies, so don't take electronics across the border unless you plan on throwing them away.

yeah. The US government will steal your social security number, then steal money from your bank account. They'll then go across your browsing history and sell your porn to mark zuckerburg. Also, they will be watching your face by hacking your phone's camera, and will watch you 24/7. The US government will steal your top-secret business plans and then give it to China. They will steal your phone number and your address and your friends phone numbers too!

[Blue4130]

1 hour ago, Captain Chaos said:

China eh?  Don't bring a phone.  Just don't.  Leave it at home. 

 

https://www.pcmag.com/news/369368/china-is-installing-spyware-on-tourists-phones

http://www.iphonehacks.com/2019/07/china-border-surveillance-install-spyware.html

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-07-03/china-forcing-tourists-install-spy-app-steals-personal-data

... and a couple thousand more links if you want

 

You don't want the filthy stuff they install on tourists' phones.  Such nation states usually embed their spyware in the device's firmware, which means it will persist through reinstalls, formats, resets etc. 

If they take your phone from your line of sight, plug anything into it or mess around with it for more than 3 seconds, you should factory reset it and then throw it in the nearest garbage can. They'll already have your entire history, but at least they can't just keep tracking you for the rest of your phone's life.

 

Don't get one locally either, they can seize it at any moment, install their spyware and download all your data. 

If you do insist on being stupid and buying one, don't link it to any existing account and don't use it to contact anyone you know.  At that point you may as well not have a phone.  So don't bring one. 

 

EDIT : Same with laptops.  Or visits to the US or Russia.  You just can't trust those countries' governments and security agencies, so don't take electronics across the border unless you plan on throwing them away.

Unless you are going to Xinjiang, they don't care about your phone. 

[Krolic]

1 hour ago, Himommies said:

Just bring your own phone. AFAIK as long as you don't go to contested areas like Xinjiang, Tibet or whatever is going on in Hong Kong right now you should be good. I am kinda biased because I'm Chinese but I haven't had anything installed on my phone at least and its probaly comparable to what the NSA does in the states

Cool. I'm only going to Shenzhen.

[Donut417]

2 hours ago, Captain Chaos said:

visits to the US

The only thing you have to worry about in the US is data being transmitted across the web. Because the NSA has equipment in major telecoms that intercept that data. Though they might ask to see your phone and access to your social media and such. But I highly doubt they will install shit on your computer. If anything that shit was installed at the factory and your just fucked. 

 

This is the reason I dont remember my passwords and I use Lastpass. I would never take my phone out of the country to begin with. They cant ask me to give them access to something I cant remember the password too. LOL.