Digital SIM: How to Use eSIMs in China

Imagine you're about to land in Beijing, and you need to switch SIM cards. You fumble for the eject tool, but it's missing. In a scramble, you borrow a paper clip, eject the SIM, and it skitters down the aisle. Amidst the chaos, you think, "If only I had an eSIM."

A Future Without SIM Cards

eSIM, or embedded SIM, is a modern alternative to physical SIM cards. Introduced in 2016, eSIMs are built-in and support multiple carrier profiles, essentially phone plans, without the need for physical SIM swapping, making it easy to remain connected while traveling. eSIMs are becoming standard in new smartphones, laptops, tablets and smartwatches.

The advantages are clear. For example, an iPhone 14 bought in the USA or Europe can store eight eSIM profiles with two eSIMs being used simultaneously, while a competing Samsung S23 can store 20 eSIM profiles, with one eSIM and one physical SIM capable of simultaneous use. With such advancements, one may wonder about the availability of eSIM services in China’s hi-tech capital. Are eSIM services readily available for expats in Beijing?

The answer to this question is device specific. Look below to see which device applies to what you currently own or are considering purchasing.

Mobile Phones With eSIM Capability

Whether you’re looking for a Samsung S23 (or later), iPhone 14 (or later), or any mobile phones with eSIM support, you won’t find it sold in the Mainland. Nor will these phones work here. At least not officially.

Apple’s Service Provider list makes no mention of providers in China’s mainland. Still, if you have an international roaming plan set up from your home country, then you’ll have a seamless internet experience while here. With an average of a few dollars per gigabyte of data, however, roaming will be quite costly but worth it for travelers here for a short stay.

Samsung and Google phones sold overseas will have no issues with compatibility in China, as these mobiles are equipped with Dual SIM - eSIM and physical SIM – so you’ll be able to register locally and put a physical SIM in the tray. Neither China Mobile nor China Unicom have announced when eSIM capable phones will be launched.

Smartwatches With eSIM (China Version) Capability

Smartwatches, such as the Apple Watch Series 3 WiFi + Cellular (China version), Xiaomi Watch S3 (eSIM version) and Huawei Watch 4/4 Pro can be activated with eSIM service for both expats and Chinese alike.

iPad with Wi-Fi + Cellular (China Version)

On May 23, China Unicom announced a data plan for the newly announced M2 and M4 iPads. These new WiFI + Cellular iPads purchased in China can be activated with eSIM service, including for expats, only at China Unicom.

Above: newly announced ad for iPad Wi-Fi+Cellular (China Version). If you’re holding a Chinese Green Card, you can skip the line at the service hall and simply activate your device online.

Kids’ Smartwatch (China Version)

Available for sale online from Jingdong and Taobao, popular watches such as the Xiaomi C7A, Huawei 4pro operate over 4G and cost less than 500RMB. These wearables allow kids to make and receive voice and video calls on their wrists without carrying a mobile phone. Although a plan is necessary for many features, these devices have a built-in Micro SIM which can be activated for expats.

Want to Use an eSIM? Head to a Service Hall

Bring your compatible device and passport to a China Unicom or China Mobile service hall (营业厅 yíngyètīng) to activate. China Unicom has the “one number, two devices” (eSIM 一号双终端 yíhào shuāng zhōngduān) plan, so you can add RMB 10 per month onto your current plan and the data will be subtracted from that allowance. There’s also an option to pay for a separate card (eSIM 独立号码 dúlì hàomǎ) for RMB 10-20 per month with 500MB-1GB of data with fees for overages. China Mobile offers only the one number, two devices plan for RMB 10 per month.

Both China Unicom and China Mobile state that only smartwatches and tablets sold in China can be activated. However, there are articles on Xiaohongshu stating, on the contrary, that Apple Watch WiFI+Cellular (Hong Kong) can be activated online. Be that as it may, you’ll be heading to the service hall with your device, so there’s a chance that this method won’t work in-person.

Read more by the author here in this article on changing phone numbers

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Images: China Unicom, Pexels, Unsplash