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Designed for calls to AsiaRed Pocket Mobile phones allow you to make cheap calls to Asia as well as send SMS messages using Mandarin characters if you want. They are the only prepaid cell phone provider with that particular feature. What's in a Name?
Red Pocket or "Hong Bao" refers to the red envelopes used for giving gifts, usually money, on special occasions. When money is given, it should be in even denominations. This is in contrast, for example, in the easternmost part of India, near China, where money gifts should be given in odd denominations.Perhaps this explains why Red Pocket Mobile makes sure to offer two, not one and not three, types of handsets: the Motorola Razr V3 or the basic Motorola C139 But before we look at those familiar phones, let's check out the . . . is CoverageRed Pocket Mobile coverage is provided by former Cingular network now owned by AT&T. Coverage should be pretty good, so how about the . . .Rates and FeaturesAirtime RatesThe regular airtime rates are pretty reasonable. $10 gets your 67 minutes good for 30 days. That comes to 15 cents a minute. But it's a better deal to pay $20 and get 133 minutes good for 90 days. After that, the best deal is to spend $100 for 1000 minutes good for one whole year at 10 cents a minute.You can also spend $188 for 1880 minutes also good for a year at 10 cents a minute. Not sure if this is intentional, but 1880 was the year, the US ended the open door policy towards China. Buying AirtimeYou can instant airtime or paper refill cards directly from their website or through one of their dealers.International RatesYou can call these countries for no additional charge from your Red Pocket Mobile phone: China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and Canada. For other Asian countries there is a fee, with per-minute fees ranging from 2 cents for Japan, to 8 cents for Indonesia and 14 cents for India.Calling Card RatesYou can also use your Red Pocket account as a calling card. In this case, there is a small fee of 1-2 cents per minute to call these countries.Within the USA, you get charged 1 cent per minute, so not much difference there. Access NumbersHere are the access Numbers:1-626-626-207-6037 and 1-415-620-8099 iConnectThe iConnect service allows your friends and relatives in select Asian countries to reach you by calling a local access number and then entering your phone number.For $3 a month for iConnect Premium, you can have a personal local access number that will connect directly to your Red Pocket Mobile phone. Text MessagingOne of the main selling points of Red Pocket Mobile is that you can send text messages using both simplified and traditional Chinese characters. The company worked with Motorola to implement this capability.I wonder what it'll now be easier to use the actual Chinese characters or the English-character shorthand when texting. Chinese SMS subscription sericesYou can also subscribe to for Chinese language SMS content services.PhonesThe great thing about Red Pocket Mobile phones is that they (say they) are unlocked!Unlocked Razr V3 $99 The winter promotion on the Red Pocket Mobile Razr is for an unlockedRazr V3 for just $99 plus shipping and handling. For $99 you get their SIM card as well as $10 worth of airtime. This is perfect because you can try out the service, and if you don't like it, just use the unlocked phone with another service plan or just resell the phone. Motorola C139If you're satisfied with a basic phone, then you can get the Motorola C139. This costs either about $29 (including SIM card and $10 credit) or $8 if you also buy it with $100 worth of airtime.Student PromotionThere is also a student package for $75. You get a SIM card, the C139 and $60 or airtime (430 minutes). So you're getting the SIM card and phone for about $15.
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