For OCR: Buy 3GS or iPhone 4? How to buy an iPhone in China?

[Randerolf]

Hi, I've been following Pleco for a while and decided to buy an iPhone so I can use this software. Should I buy a 3GS or iPhone 4 to run the new OCR software? What would you recommend? This ties in with my second question: how can I buy an iPhone in Beijing? All of the scalpers are buying the iPhone 4's, so getting an iPhone 4 simply might not be available. Simply place a reservation online for a phone and pick it up at the store?

Is it recommended to only buy an iPhone from the apple store? I live near Zhong Guan Cun, the big electronics district of Beijing.

Would buying a phone on ebay (US) and having it mailed to China be a good option?

Can I use the simple pay-as-you-go, no data plan that I have now with the phone (China Unicom)? Does anyone recommend a good plan? Thanks in advance for your input. I'd love to start using Pleco soon.

 

[gato]

Re: For OCR: Buy 3GS or iPhone 4? How to buy an iPhone in Ch

Your safest option would be place a reservation online with Apple and buy the phone at an Apple store in Beijing. Given that the iPhone 4 has a much better screen, better camera, faster processor, long battery life and better reception than 3GS, you should definitely get the iPhone 4.

As for phone plans, I use a pay-as-you-go Shenzhouxing with China Mobile, with a 20 yuan per month 150MB EDGE data plan. Don't know if Unicom has a similar pay-as-you-go data plan.