OK - I HATE paying for phones, always get the one that comes with the contract, etc. in America.

Here in China there are no contracts.  You buy a SIM card with your phone number for 10 rmb ($1.30) and then put value onto it.  I DO NOT use it too much and text here more often than talk.  I haven't used but MAYBE $50 since I arrived (that's about 15 months living here).  A friend GAVE me his old phone and I used it for the first year and a half.  NOW the "9" key doesn't work AT ALL!!!  Used to just be hard to push but NO "9" is killer for text messaging, eh?!?

Now you can spend TONS of money here in China on a Mobile Phone (they call them Shou ji or hand machine - then they laugh when you literally translate the words!!!).  Many students spend $200 to $250 on a phone without thinking about it (the parents do anyway).  I cringe at spending even $100.  So when I was able to find this Nokia for 565 yuan, I immediately bought!  (that's just over $80).

 
Fits in my pocket, has a little dictionary (which I used at the store already to ask about "Jasmine" rice), etc.!  COOL!