Article sponsored by Nihao Mobile
The Guangzhou Expat team was scrolling away on WeChat and came across a mobile service provider that claimed to be the best SIM-card for expats in China. We had never seen any other service providers besides the China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom – so we were curious to find out what Nihao Mobile has to offer.
Nihao Mobile sent us a brand new SIM-card for a test. It arrived via SF express delivery (they deliver to you for free) with a user guide that shows you step by step on how to activate your SIM-card. Following the instructions was easy, so soon we got to start the real test!
Pricing
Nihao Mobile has three packages to choose from that comes with minutes and data. In a world revolving around internet, the data packages are what caught my attention.
- 10GB + 80mins package 48CNY/month
- 20GB + 150mins package 88CNY/month
- 40GB + 300mins package 128CNY/month
To compare to my current package from China Mobile which is 10GB for 88CNY/month, Nihao Mobile offers a better deal than my current SIM-card!
Now of course different service providers offer different deals and discounts, but by comparison right now, Nihao Mobile is offering good pricing.
Signal
At the Guangzhou Expat team we often compare the signal and reception of China Mobile and China Unicom as we happen to have both. Now it is often true that China Mobile is the most expensive option, but gives the best signal too.
Nihao Mobile actually uses China Unicom network, giving you the same signal as you would with China Unicom.
Let’s go to different places in Guangzhou to test the signal!
- At my office in Zhujiang New Town: China Mobile 3-4, Nihao Mobile 3
- At home far away from city center: China Mobile 3-4, Nihao Mobile 3
- In the middle of nowhere in Baiyun: No signal what so over, even China Mobile can’t connect!
So in conclusion, with Nihao Mobile you don’t need to worry about your cell phone reception, it’s the same as China Unicom. China Mobile does have the best reception, but it comes with a price tag.
Service
Here at Guangzhou Expat we take pride in honesty, and honestly after we bought our SIM-cards years ago, we never really thought about them that much. Paid when there was no more money left, didn’t care about changing to other packages. If needed, we could speak in Chinese with the customer service.
But this is of course not the case with all expats in Guangzhou, especially if you are new to China and new to Chinese language.
Nihao Mobile offers full English service at all points, when you buy the SIM-card, when you check you balance and when there is a problem. You don’t need to bother a Chinese friend to buy your SIM-card anymore, you can do it your self. And that’s a great feeling!
They also support not only WeChat and Alipay payment methods, but also PayPal!
Via WeChat Public Account I can check what mobile plan I have, how much data and minutes I have left. I can top-up my phone and contact the customer service from there. On the public account I can find other useful information as well, that is also the place where I activated my new SIM-card.
For customer service you can also contact them via WhatsApp, Skype or Facebook.
Who should get Nihao Mobile SIM-card?
Not everyone will benefit from getting a new SIM-card from Nihao Mobile, but in our opinion these people definitely will:
- Expats who aren’t familiar with Chinese yet, from other operators you receive many Chinese messages that can be confusing, with Nihao Mobile you get everything in English
- Expats who are new to China and choosing their very first SIM-card, getting Nihao Mobile is a no-brainer as it’s perfect for those who don’t read/speak Chinese yet
- For your family and friends who are visiting you in China
- Expats who want to clearly see how many minutes and how much data they have already used, Nihao Mobile clearly shows this on your account page
- For everyone living in China that need a second SIM-card or don’t mind changing their mobile phone number to a new one
Now if you want to get your own Nihao Mobile SIM-card or find out more about them, you can check their website* or scan the QR-codes below to connect with them on WeChat. They will send the SIM-card to you via SF express delivery, no extra charges, so you don’t even need to go out to get it.
*Yes, their website looks like more work is needed to make it more pleasing to the eye, but it is easy to use and ordering your own SIM-card is made very convenient. The team behind Nihao Mobile also told us, they will be improving their website very soon!