06.15.07
When a cell phone is more than just a cell phone
Xiao Jing is a little brother in my barber shop. He is 20 years old, and has been working in the shop for almost 2 years. According to Mr. Zheng, he is one of the customers’ favorite little brothers. He has excellent hair washing and massage technique, and customers enjoy his personality. But when Xiao Jing is not busy with customers, he is busy with his Sony Ericson cell phone. I often see Xiao Jing bouncing around the shop taking pictures and videos of other employees with the 2 mega pixel camera on his phone. When he’s not taking pictures, he’s playing games or sending text messages. Xiao Jing bought his phone last year and it cost him 1800 RMB (approx $220 USD). This may not seem too expensive at first, but when you consider his monthly salary fluctuates between 800-1000 RMB, this means that he had to spend an entire 2 months salary, just to buy the cell phone (not including talk time). That’s 1/6 of his annual income!
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| Johnny and Xiao Fang watch on as Adamum battles to the next level of Jet Wars. |
Xiao Jing is not atypical. Every single employee in the shop owns a cell phone, except for Johnny who accidentally ran his through the washing machine. Most of their phones cost about the same as Xiao Jing’s. My phone, which cost me 800 RMB, is by far the cheapest of any of the employees.
The fact that non-wealthy Chinese people will spend so much money on a cell phone used to strike me as odd. Sure, there is a status element to it, but working class Chinese people have always struck me as too practical to buy an expensive gadget just to show it off.
As I mentioned before, my phone cost me 800 RMB. It is a Chinese brand, and comes with most of the same features you would get in an expensive foreign model. When I bought it, I bought it for two reasons: Make phone calls and send text messages. I wanted to buy the simplest and thinnest phone I could find, and it just so happened that it had a whole slew of features I never planned to use.
However, in this past month I have customized my ring tones, mastered the puzzle game, sent over one thousand text messages, reorganized my phone book, taken pictures of all my coworkers, associated those pictures with their profiles on my phone, and loaded my phone’s SIM card with a collection of new Chinese songs recommended by my coworkers to listen to on the phone’s MP3 player. Working in the barber shop, I probably spent more time in front of my cell phone per day than my computer.
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| Cheng Qing and Xiao Xie also pass their idle work time on their handheld entertainment centers. |
What I have learned from a month in a Chinese barber shop is that a cell phone takes on whole new set of functionality when you work a job which requires you to sit around on your ass for 3 to 5 hours per day. When you look at this as 90 to 150 hours per month of downtime, suddenly spending 1800 RMB on a cell phone starts to make a lot more sense.
With China’s massive labor pool, many of whom work jobs with considerable down time, it is no wonder that the world’s cell phone manufacturers have gone to such great lengths to target the Chinese market. Buying a cell phone in China is almost like buying a car in the US. There are literally thousands of models to choose from coming from a multitude of brand names, and even some illegally made phones with no brand at all. In addition to functionality Chinese consumers also judge a phone based on its aesthetic values.
During my third week at the barber shop, Xiao Xia purchased a new Nokia phone for around 2000 RMB. While the phone came equipped with numerous state of the art features, the first comments out of other employees’ mouths were “啊很漂亮” or “oh, it’s so beautiful.” Most of the employees at the barber shop have very few possessions. Many of them have only 3 or 4 sets of clothes, and their phone provides them with a unique chance at self-expression of personal tastes. Calling a cell phone beautiful sounds odd to Western ears where most of our adjectives relating to our handheld devices deal with functionality and form factor. Yet in China, a cell phone is not just a cell phone. It is entertainment for 3 hours a day. It is a fashion accessory, and an expression of one’s own tastes. Sound similar to how we buy cars in the West? That’s because it is. In 3 years in China, I have never owned a cell phone which cost more than 800 RMB. However the longer I worked at the barber shop, the more I found myself itching to pick up the latest Nokia 3000 RMB pocket dragon. Now if you don’t mind…I have puzzles to get back to.
Jeremy
said,
June 15, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Ben,
Holy… you just got linked by BusinessWeek online. Didn’t know if you knew already, but congratulations. Not a big piece, but if others in the mainstream media decide to pick up the thread as well, watch out.
Jimbo
said,
June 16, 2007 at 12:59 am
oh that wacky johnny… what will he do next?
ThinkAboutYourFuture
said,
June 16, 2007 at 2:42 am
Ben, it must be very inconvenient to have your blogs blocked inside China. Are you sure it was blocked by the GFW of China? Is there such a thing as the Great Firewall of China? Come on. Chinese are among the nicest people in the world. I am sure they wouldn’t do that. Beijing government is so pro-business nowadays that it makes the Republican Bush Administration look like a socialist or a drunken sailor if you’d prefer. If China does monitor web sites and blocks them when they are deemed inappropriate, who are the ones in China to monitor web sites in English? They must be well-educated Chinese with a superb command of the English language. In that case, these guys must also be extremely stupid. Why? With their command of English, they could have made tons of more $$$ by working for a U.S. corporation in China.
Since you blogged about cell phones in China, here are three Chinese cell phone companies traded on NYSE through ADRs (American Depository Receipt). China has so many cell phone users due to its population. On top of that, it’s not uncommon for a Chinese to sign up for 2 or 3 cell phone services. Maybe your readers, including those who monitor your blogs if you insist they exist, can benefit by investing in these 3 stocks. I have made lots of $$$ in CHL. Hey, really. Wouldn’t it be better to use one’s skill of English to make money in the stock market than some boring desk job? Think about it.
CHINA MOBILE LIMITED – provides GSM service and has 68% of Chinese cell phone service market
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=chl
CHINA UNICOM LTD – provides CDMA service and has a good potential to catch up as China opens up to CDMA technology
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=chu
COMTECH GROUP – provides integration and upgrade services. With 3G initiative by the year end, this company is poised to gain big.
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=cogo
Use your English skill to make money! Don’t believe you can do it? Check out this stock http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=edu. The company, New Oriental Education, was started by a Chinese teacher of the English language from Beijing University. He is now the richest teacher ever in Chinese history with a net worth to the tune of USD$300 million. Hip-hip-horay! Making money, reading blogs, making money, reading blogs, making money… I think I will go with making money. Yes, that’s what I would do.
Rene
said,
June 16, 2007 at 3:11 pm
I had exactly the same feeling as you when I first came to China 3 years ago and noticed all the students with likewise expensive phones. They’ll tell you their parents are poor farmers, and they don’t have their own source of income, but for some reason they are always able to find the money for this one purchase.
For what it’s worth, I’ve made it through these 3 years without ever buying a phone, and when students find out, they look at me like I’m crazy.
canrun
said,
June 16, 2007 at 6:35 pm
“Chinese are among the nicest people in the world. I am sure they wouldn’t do that.”
You’re posting this from the USA?? I’d like to try whatever you’re smoking, please…
mei mei
said,
June 17, 2007 at 2:49 am
thinkaboutyourfuture,
You didn’t get it. They don’t use humans to monitor your blog they just block websites by keywords appeared on the site.
China Law Blog
said,
June 17, 2007 at 4:42 am
Our attorney in Shanghai spent 300RMB for his phone and it works just fine. But the secretaries at the Chinese law firms with which we work always break out laughing when they see it. Not that it is strange, it is just so plain and on their $125 per month salaries, they all have $200 cell phones too.
dezza
said,
June 17, 2007 at 9:36 am
All I can say is I’m glad I have shares in China Netcom and China Mobile! With the Chinese gov granting of 3G licenses later this year/early next year, the market for mobile phone services in China is set to explode.
Meimei: you are right AND wrong about blog monitoring. Yes, the gov does use software to redflag websites but there is also a big army of cadres that view the websites as well. I know this because my friend works in that department in Beijing.
ThinkAboutYourFuture
said,
June 17, 2007 at 10:55 am
dezza, maybe your friend should use his English skill to make money instead of a boring desk job. China is going through tremendous changes right now. If your friend or any of his/her coworkers can read this, I would encourage them to seriously think about what I have written earlier. Many years from now, China will be more different and most likely will be better in many areas than now. What really matters then is one’s ability to make a living without the help of government. I am pretty certain a government desk job isn’t going to cut it, as is the case here in the U.S. I have the best hope and nicest wish for China as a nation. I feel for the Chinese people and sincerely hope they would step up to the plate this time around. I invest heavily in China and love China. Come on, don’t disappoint many of us here in America who have been cheering for China.
Ray
said,
June 17, 2007 at 11:34 am
I’ve got a Motorola cell phone which’s bought last year and costed 1500RMB,when I first got this one,I was so glad that I bought a TF card to enlarge the space and put many songs and pics in it,it has a camera,but sucks. in the first one month,I often used it to listen to musics,take photos,play games,but later,it turned out to be boring.for now,it just use it to make phone calls and send messages.I heard that cell phones cost much more in US than in china,is that true?maybe that’s why chinese ppl buy a cell phone in China is almost like buying a car in the US.
shan
said,
June 17, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Love your Blog
danjo
said,
June 17, 2007 at 2:05 pm
I have a subscription to 21st Century, and lo and behold this blog was featured in an article in this week’s edition. I’m very likely to use it in English class this week (I teach Reading class). I’ve really enjoyed the barbershop saga, I love to hear about the more adventurous foreigners in China.
zuraffo
said,
June 17, 2007 at 11:44 pm
Never really could understand all the importance attached to the phone, even after reading this entry. To me, my phone is first and foremost a communication tool. Phone will more functions have the bad habit of screwing up on simple functions like calling, so I always choose the phones with the least features.
Jessica
said,
June 18, 2007 at 12:03 am
Hi,I am a university student here in China.After reading your story-working in a Barber Shop, in 21st century,I decide to visit your blog.The essay you write about the veiws toward cell phone is very impressive .I can’t agree with you more,and you really have a deep insight into Chinese consumers’psychology.Looking forward to see more stories and analysis.
Dave!
said,
June 18, 2007 at 4:45 am
“Calling a cell phone beautiful sounds odd to Western ears…”
No, not really. I know tons of people who’ve said similar things. And if Westerners weren’t obsessed with aesthetics, too, then the Razr wouldn’t have been such a big seller…
chicanohek
said,
June 18, 2007 at 2:17 pm
is that you helping out Ron in this clip?
http://www.tv.rsims2.com/videos/haircut1.mp4
hek
Benjamin Ross
said,
June 18, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Yup, that’s Ron and me in Fuqing.
Jeremy Yeh
said,
June 19, 2007 at 9:34 pm
cellphones are quite popular in china. almost everybody has one. the situation is the same in s korea and some other asian countries. ive heard that americans dont use cellphones very much. is that true?
Mylea Mei
said,
June 20, 2007 at 12:05 am
What Jessica said here is just like what I want to say. The only difference is that I am a primary school teacher graduated this January. I am interested in foreigners’ view of China.
Phil
said,
June 20, 2007 at 12:23 am
I used to hate your blog, but you’ve won me over. This is a great piece, and your barbershop stuff was uniformly good, too. Keep up the great work, it’s obviously having an effect and making people understand each other a little bit more.
Thom
said,
June 21, 2007 at 9:53 am
Ben, great posts as always and you are not only in the business week online you made the magazine itself. I was stoked to see a nice few inches about you in the magazine. Keep the posts coming and have fun with your ‘rents.
Julee
said,
June 22, 2007 at 6:40 pm
my phone cant even play mp3
, at least it has a VGA camera for me to play around with! 
Stephen Xu
said,
July 6, 2007 at 2:09 pm
I hate cell phones! And I hate the so-called “warm” Chinese friendship!
Last Friday night, when I was preparing for my GRE test, my cell phone rang. It was Liu Guixiong, one of my classmates in college. He said,“Hello, Honghai. Fangli’s wedding day is tomorrow. I can’t go to his wedding ceremony for I am going to XX. Could you please pay the bill for me tomorrow? ”(1、For relatives or friends of the young couple, it is customary to provide the groom or bride some money as a gift, usually 100RMB or 200RMB nowadays. 2、Fangli is one of my classmates too). Liu had done me some favors in the past, so I answered that I would do that for him.
Last Saturday noon, when I was attending Fangli’s wedding ceremony, my cell phone rang again. It was Zhang Lijuan, another classmate. She made a similar request to Liu’s, and the differences were: 1、 Compare to Liu’s polite request, she almost ordered me to do that. 2、 She said that she would not return the money to me until a long, long time later(How long? I didn’t know). I got angry and refused her request cause I didn’t own her anything.
About 6 PM this Tuesday afternoon, my cell phone rang again! It was Ye Dong, another classmate. He said,“Hi, Honghai. I have to write a study plan for visa application to Canada. Could you please come to my place to help me revise it?” I had to go to his office to help him. When I was about to start, the cell phone rang again!!! It was He Xugang, he asked me to study with him for the entire July cause he was preparing for GRE too! I said that I had no free time. This entire July, my god! And I got to Ye Dong’s office and tried to finish the study plan ASAP. When it was done, my cell phone rang again, and it was another classmate. He asked me if I had any disk availble, for he wanted to copy something. I refused him. And my cell phone rang again!!!!!!!!!!!!!It was Zhenhua, he said，“Honghai, how are you doing recently? I am in Shanghai now. And my application to a india software company was refused. The reason was my English wasn’t good enough. Could you provide me a study plan?” Oh, What am I? All-purpose machine?
Now, when I am alone, I turn off my phone, for I just want to be quiet.
felicia
said,
July 10, 2007 at 2:30 pm
hello!
i am happy to know u by 21st century newspaper!i am a chinese student ,majoring in business english!i like english so i want to learn well.i will appreciate u if u would like to communicate with me ,which can be help with my english!i am looking forward to ur letter!thank u
!
Jessica
said,
September 1, 2007 at 11:37 pm
Hi Ben,it seemd you didn’t have much work experience these days.I hope to see your new view on China.
dd
said,
January 3, 2008 at 1:38 am
revise it?” I had to go to his office to help him. When I was about to start, the cell phone rang again!!! It was He Xugang, he asked me to study with him for the entire July cause he was preparing for GRE too! I said that I had no free time. This entire July, my god! And I got to Ye Dong’s office and tried to finish the study plan ASAP. When it was done, my cell phone rang again, and it was another classmate. He asked me if I had any disk availble, for he wanted to copy something. I refused him. And my cell phone rang again!!!!!!!!!!!!!It was Zhenhua, he said，“Honghai, how are you doing recently? I am in Shanghai now. And my application to a india software company was refused. The reason was my English wasn’t good enough. Could y