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SonyEricsson W810i + PASSPORT Plus + $10 Airtime

China Olympic
Motorola V6001 + China SIM Service (by China Mobile)

The China Olympic Promotion includes everything you need to step off the plane in China and start talking like a local, with an international cell phone and a China SIM card. (The China SIM card is a thumbnail sized microchip that snaps into the back of your cellular phone and activates service on a specific local network.)

With cellular service provided by China Mobile, you can travel China securely and conveniently with your own China cellular phone.
 
$159 Add to cart

Activtng your service

Your China service will provide you with a China cellular phone number which will be printed on an information card contained within the prepaid SIM card packaging. The number will start with a 1.

  • Travel to China
  • Be sure that the battery is adequately charged
  • Insert the China Mobile SIM card into the cell phone*
  • Turn on your cell phone
  • Enter PIN 1234 if requested^
  • You are now ready to make and receive calls

*You will need to snap out the thumbnail sized China SIM card along the perforated edge of its holder and then insert the SIM card into your international cell phone with the gold contacts of the SIM card facing the metal contacts of your international cellular phone.

^The PUK is only required to unblock your phone if you enter in a PIN code incorrectly 3 times using your China cell phone. Your phone may or may not prompt you for a PIN code. Follow your cell phone manual instructions to correctly use the PUK to unblock your cell phone.

**When calling overseas from the United States to your China cell phone, callers will need to dial 011 followed by country code 86 and your China cell phone number. To call abroad from your China cell phone simply dial 00 followed by the country code and phone number. For example to call Telestial you would dial 0018582742686

Customer service for your China Mobile prepaid SIM card is available by dialing 14008200293

For emergencies while using your local China GSM SIM card in China please dial 112 from your cell phone.

Airtime rates

Domestic Calls

Domestic Calls
Airtime Rate
Local Incoming Calls YUAN 0.6 (US$0.09) per minute
Long Distance Incoming Calls YUAN 1.19 (US$0.17) per minute
Local Outgoing Calls YUAN 0.6 ($0.09 USD)
Long Distance Outgoing Calls YUAN 1.19 ($0.17 USD)

All rates are per minute.
SMS text messages are US$0.17 per message.

International Calls
All international outgoing calls using your China SIM card and cell phone with the exception of Taiwan are charged at a flat per minute rate with your China SIM card. All international incoming calls are charged at a flat of $0.19 USD per minute regardless of where a call originates.

 

Call Type
Airtime Rate
All Incoming Calls YUAN 1.19 ($0.17 USD) per minute
Calls to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan YUAN 2.8 ($0.35 USD) per minute
International with Direct Dial* YUAN 8.8 ($1.10 USD) per minute
International with IP 17951** YUAN 5.4 ($0.67 USD) per minute
International with Return Call Service*** YUAN 1.05 ($0.14 USD) per minute

 

*Standard direct dial calls are 00 + country code + phone number from your China cellular phone. As an example to call Telestial from China you would dial 0018582742686.

**Like a standard call but add 17951. As an example to call Telestial from China you would dial 179510018582742686. Your call will be routed using an IP over the internet and call quality may be affected.

***Sign up for the Telestial Return Call Service for the lowest calling rate from your China cell phone to the United States. Calls to other countries may vary but are usually 50% less then either direct dial or IP. This rate includes the $0.19 USD callback rate + $0.19 USD cost of the incoming call.

SMS text messages are US$0.17 per message.

Roaming Calls (calls placed when traveling outside of the country)
Roaming is currently not available with your China service.

GPRS Data Rates (Wireless Internet)
GPRS is currently not available with your China service.

Adding Airtime

You can conveniently add airtime credit to your China prepaid SIM card over the phone by caling 1 400 820 0293, between the hours of 7:30 AM and 6:30 PM (China Time).

To recharge manually, please

  • Purchase a China Mobile recharge card
  • Scratch off the protective layer to reveal your recharge voucher code
  • Dial 13800138000 from your mobile phone
  • Press 1 for English voice prompts
  • Press 1 to recharge your account
  • When prompted, enter the 18-digit recharge voucher code
  • The voice prompt will confirm your recharge

Service Life

If you do not recharge your account within the initial activity period of 24 months, your China prepaid SIM card will expire and all remaining airtime credit will be forfeit. The service life of your China prepaid SIM card may be extended indefinitely by purchasing and recharging airtime which, depending on their denomination, will provide a service life extension and all subsequent airtime credit will be carried over into the next validity period.

Voucher Value
Validity Period
RMB 50 ($6 USD) 90 days
RMB 100 ($12 USD) 180 days
RMB 300 ($38 USD) 360 days
RMB 500 ($60 USD) 360 days


If the remaining airtime credit on your China SIM card drops below RMB 10, 60 seconds after connecting a call you will hear a beep as a warning and/or the call will disconnect immediately if there is no value remaining. China mobile will not print out phone charges. Customers can only check their remaining value by calling 13800138000.
 

Rave Reviews!
 

Reviewed by CBS

Carry On! The Best Travel Gadgets
"TELESTIAL SIM CARD/GSM PHONE, $100. The GSM phone available through Telestial also works overseas; you insert a SIM card that will work with a local number and a local rate, so you can forget the exorbitant fees. There is free incoming calls in 40 countries in the world. No contract is necessary."

"Unlike phone rental options, Telestial eliminates problems associated with incompatible cellular networks abroad or being tied to a U.S. network that charges huge overseas rates. Telestial works with international providers, and their customers can get the same low local call rates that international residents would pay, plus the convenience of having an enabled phone prior to arriving in an international destination."
 
Reviewed by

Another phone menu: how to call home from abroad
"A Telestial GSM 900/1800 international cell phone starts at $99, while a smaller phone with more features begins at $179. SIM cards cost $17-$79, but Telestial says they pay for themselves within 30 minutes of use when comparing the costs with international roaming rates. With Telestial's $49 Passport SIM card, for instance, that call from Spain would cost 49 cents a minute. Using a $59 Explorer SIM card, a call from Russia would be 45 cents a minute. Both cards allow free incoming calls from the United States."
 
Reviewed by

Calling From Abroad at Reasonable Rates
“Telestial's customers are billed only when they use the service, so it's a good backup option for any traveler to have…”
 

Reviewed by

A Celestial deal from Telestial
“You’ll get the lowest possible per-minute rates.”
“Telestial holds you hand every step of the way.…”
 

Reviewed by

The best travel technology product awards
“...an essential convenience for anyone traveling out of the US. No matter where they are, a single phone number reaches the traveler, affordably and easily.”
 

Reviewed by

Staying Connected
‘If you want to save money, get a GSM phone from an independent supplier like Telestial.”
 

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