Sim Card to use in China

[MabelStark]

I'm going around in circles looking on the internet to find the answer so I'm asking for Mumsnet's help as I know someone will be able to give the the lowdown!
My son will be visiting China on a school trip for 14 days. I want him to be able to use his phone while he's there. He has an iPhone tied to a network (Virgin)
At the school meeting they mentioned SIM cards that you can buy and use in China.
My questions are where can I buy them?
Are they easy to use? Which one would you recommend? Is there anything I need to be aware of?
I need to get his iphone unlocked I think?
I'm full of nerves and excitement about his trip - he's 13 so it's a big thing for me!
It's hard to sort something out when what you are reading doesn't make sense to you!
I've downloaded WeChat to use to speak to him (haven't managed to login yet) and I think that FaceTime is usable from China.
Just getting my knickers in a twist over this phone issue. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Hopeful bump

Another hopeful bump.

Hi, slightly different situation but I send people to China for short term work from all over the world and none have ever changed their numbers.
Wechat which you have already downloaded will be fine and just connect via wifi, it's quite readily available in public in cities.

Ok, Just double checked with one of the guys. He uses his own phone as his hotel and workplace has good wifi. However, some wifi hot spots require you to have a Chinese SIM to be able to connect (they text you a code). So buses/trains/airport wifi etc you would be better with a Chinese SIM. They are easy to buy, lots of locations and cost 10-15 USDish.
2 things to watch out for: your phone must be unlocked and you need the right size SIM (Apparently there are a few so know which one).

Just make sure WeChat is working on both your phones and you will be able to message. He can also upload photos to 'moments' if he wants, so you can see what he's been up to. FaceTime works, as does Skype.

I don't think he needs a Chinese SIM. He can just connect to wifi in the hotel and in loads of public places. There's a firewall making WhatsApp, FB, Google etc difficult/impossible to use. You can get around this by using a VPN, but I think that's unnecessary for a teenager on a school trip.

Google translate does work in China, so he should download that app. WeChat also has a good translate function, but I think it needs to be downloaded/activated separately from the main app.

Relax - he will have a brilliant time!

Dh works in China a lot.
No need for a different sim.
He uses wechat.
He has a vpn and manages to use WhatsApp. FaceTime rarely works (but I hate so am glad!). He is quite high profile in his field so it may be that his phone and internet use is monitored

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply- really appreciate it. I'd forgotten about Skype which I have now downloaded and I'll get DS to do the same.
Thank you again.

You need a phone unlocked to use the device with another sim whilst away. Your Ds can buy a local payg sim and put in phone to top up while there. They often have these in arriving airport.
I usually add call bundles and use WiFi which means he can Skype/Whatsapp when connected to a wifi network. Make sure Virgin dont allow aotumatic data connection through his plan as it will cost you a fortune for roaming data outsie the EU.