On April 14, China Unicom shifted its iPhone plans eliminating their most popular free-iPhone-with-contract plan and adding a super discount plan. They also started selling iPhones without a contract: 4,999rmb for a 16GB phone. Analysis in Chinese

I was planning choosing Unicom’s popular free-iPhone plan, but after they closed that option I was left reconsidering my options. Thankfully, iPhone prices on Taobao began sinking. You can now find the 16GB iPhone 4 for about 4200rmb to 4400rmb. All without a contract commitment.

I ended up choosing Feichang Shouji 非常手机 for an unlocked Hong Kong iPhone and paid 4420. These guys have many shops around China and I hear that they offer excellent service if you need your firmware scrubbed or your settings tweaked.

In light of today’s China Unicom offerings, does it still make sense to buy an unlocked iPhone?

iPhone from Feichang – 4430rmb
All iPhones – various prices

Pleco is the best Chinese-learning thing ever

If you are learning Chinese, you absolutely need to get the Pleco software dictionary.  It has a great interface which lets you find words fast and save them for flashcard study later.

They just released the Pleco 2.0 recently, which offers some neat features. But I think the best deal right now is the Palm version Pleco 1.0, which you can get for as little as $40 USD. But you’ll need a machine to run it.

The Palm Treo 650 – the model which I have happily used for 3 years, is a steal on Taobao today. You can pick one up for about 700rmb. Even if you already have a phone, this is probably the most useful Chinese-learning tool available.

Treos are sweet little machines, but they do break. Suggest getting from this guy, who has a 48-hour test and return policy and a 7-day exchange policy.

The Treo 650 at 660rmb

The Treo 650 in matte black (shown here) at 700rmb

The Treo 680 at 890rmb

Consider adding one of these sweet little battery chargers to keep around the office. And extra styli are a must.