Business
What is an app? According to one source it is a "software application" developed for use on mobile devices such as smart phones and tablet computers.
A recent study indicated that the average owner of a smartphone checks their device 87 times daily. Keep in mind that this is the average and many of us distract ourselves over 100 times each day. The same study said almost 50% of our communication is done via these modern devices of mass communication. It is amazing how fast and extensive this sector has grown. It started sometime in 2008 and in a mere eight years, there are estimates of over 1.5 million apps available. The largest distributors or app stores are Apple, Google Play, Windows Phone Store and many others. Most of these apps (over 90%) are free but with the remaining apps being sold, it is extremely big business with an estimated 150 billion downloads and generating $26 Billion Dollars. In general, the 20 to 30% of the revenue goes to the distributor and the producer earns the rest. It is estimated that apps have created over 500,000 jobs in the EU.
Despite the positive impact on the economy it is debatable what all this technology has really done for our health. As we have reported on earlier, when discussing smart phones, technology is quite disruptive, especially since these applications have brought what used to be "computer based" technology to the palm of our hands. It is easier, now more than ever, to be distracted. In fact, I just stopped typing and check my WeChat in response to an alert. This can hardly be ideal in terms of thought continuity. It could be argued that apps are at the heart of the problem. After all, it is far more probable to be interrupted by a device that can email, text, chat, video, order food, watch TV, bank online, and the list goes on and on. These devices aren't nearly as disruptive without all those little apps.
So you can see apps have become an integral part of our life, obviously we can't cover all the apps in this article but we hope to highlight many that are especially useful for the expat trying to meet the challenges of living in China. Most of the apps we describe are free but be aware that many have a marketing strategy that will encourage you to buy a "deluxe" or higher-grade version. So try the free one for a while to determine if you really need to shell out any cash. Also we are providing you with our personal experiences and not promoting any of these specific apps. In fact, before you decide to use any of these apps, look up the user reviews and see what others think of them. Disclaimers aside, a quick read of the apps listed below will reveal just how much these apps have taken over.
Social
It would be hard to think of not being able to you WeChat or "Wei Xin" 微信 there are now over one billion wechat accounts and 700 million users and 70 million users outside of China. With its built in translation feature, receiving Chinese text messages are no problem. Almost everyone uses the app to pay for small items, even the local food stand that sells JianBing 煎饼 will probably accept e-payment.
Transport
Getting around in Tianjin can be a chore but some apps can help a great deal. Tianjin Subway not only gives you a map with all the stops but also describes the stops along each line. Similar apps are available for other major cities like Beijing, and Shanghai.
DiDi recently purchased UBER and the app is unfortunately now totally Chinese and requires a Chinese credit card so it may not be usable for most foreigners. But if you can read and write some basic Chinese and have a Chinese card, this is an essential app for hailing cabs. Depending on location, cabs are increasingly difficult, if not next to impossible to hail without using one of these apps. Especially those who are out and about late at night need these apps. Be aware though that driver quality varies from amazing to awful. While there are some systems in place to give feedback via the app for bad experiences, it doesn't completely eliminate the possibility of having a terrible ride.
When using either of these apps, be ready for the driver to call you and ask where you are. This may seem incredibly annoying, even entirely unnecessary at first. However, with time, it becomes obvious getting picked up isn't always the easiest thing. The driver figuring out exactly where you are standing may seem simple enough, but in reality can be quite complex. For users watching the car "arrive" via the onscreen map, one quickly finds out the location display isn't that accurate. Nothing is more frustrating than the app showing the car as nearby or arrived when it actually has some distance to go. This can happen due to data network delays. Regardless of reason, be ready for a real test of patience and Chinese language skills as you attempt to tell the driver your exact location not once, twice, but perhaps over and over again until finally he finds you, you walk to him, or one of the two parties gives up and cancels. Expats should be aware though that cancellation can result in getting charged a cancellation fee and negative feedback.
Getting from point A to point B has been made incredibly accurate with several GPS and map apps. Two of the most popular are BaiDu 百度and GaoDe 高德 Both operate only in Chinese but if your Chinese friend sends you a map from one of these apps, you can operate the location finder quite easily by memorizing a few functions. They also have a voice instruction to tell you where to turn, location of traffic light cameras and mileage indicator. If you are Mandarin illiterate, the directional arrows are pretty straightforward. You can even chooses the type of voice, the most popular voice right now is the Taiwanese actress Lin Chi-Ling 林志玲.
Learning how to use Chinese developed map apps is a big step in truly becoming China savvy. The reasons are many, but at a minimum it can't be denied these maps tend to be the most "China" friendly. Especially in terms of being able to look up bus and subway routes. Local stores are also best found by searching the name in Chinese characters using one of these map apps. While not easy for new expats, it definitely makes a huge difference in truly being able to navigate.
For expats that are traveling via bus, two other apps that are fairly popular and quite useful are 8684公交 gōngjiāo and 车来了chē lái le. Yet again these too have Chinese language based interfaces, but, they are worth the effort to learn how to use. The 8684公交 gōngjiāo is a very up to date app used to look up bus routes. 车来了chē lái le on the other hand, primarily focuses on providing bus tracking via GPS. When location services are enabled on your phone, simply open the app and it will display which buses are nearest your current location. Another option is to manually enter in the name of the bus stop you are at and then it will show which buses are soon to arrive. Yet one more choice is to enter the specific bus number. This in turn shows where each of that number bus is on the route. This data can be a lifesaver when an overcrowded bus arrives. A quick look at the app may reveal another bus is nearby and soon to arrive. If so, you can forgo squeezing onto the first bus and hope the next one will be a little more humane. Likewise, as it gets late and you've missed that "last bus" of the night, check the app to see if any are still out and about on the route.
A popular travel app is Ctrip. With it you can book, hotels, flights and trains. It is available in both Chinese and English. By joining as a member, points can be earned for discounts and it has special rates that even beat other hotel patronage apps but you usually cannot double dip. For instance if you book a SPG hotel, you may have to forego the points you would have earned by the SPG app. Ctrip also has an English phone in service in case you want to make bookings the old fashion way. When booking via Ctrip it is also nice that they can send both a text and email including the booking information. When booking a hotel for example, the text message will display the address in Chinese along with phone number. This information can be plugged in your map app (see above). The phone number is super important, especially if traveling by cab as then the driver can always call the hotel for directions when you get close but can't seem to find it. Another handy feature is being able to cancel the booking by simply sending a text. Other travel apps are TripAdvisor and JinAdvisor which provides hotel, restaurants and things to do in the major cities and customer reviews.
Daily Life
There numerous health related apps, the easiest are probably linked with your phone, whether it is an Apple iPhone, Samsung or local brands, they usually come with a loaded app that will count your steps, flights of stairs or miles walked. These are the basics and as mentioned earlier, you can pay a bit more for an upscale model that will count calories, monitor your sleep and practically do everything except sweat for you.
Even if you are fluent in Chinese and pride yourself with an extensive Mandarin vocabulary, you probably could use a good translator app. One common one is Google Translates, they recently upgraded this app and it now can translate much more than the few sentences at a time as in the past. The good thing is this app will provide the pinyin with the correct tones that helps with the pronunciation. It even has an oral capability for individual words. The app allows for downloading a language pack so that even when offline, translations can be made. Another nifty feature is to use the camera to take a picture of text which needs translated. Translations can also be "starred" so as to be able to quickly reference them again in the future.
Eating is always at the top of the list in China. So you will need some foodie apps. Try Da Zhong Dian Ping 大众点评 the ratings are usually accurate and gives the estimated cost per person, phone number and location which can be linked to your Baidu or Gaode GPS. Another good food related app is Mei Tuan Wai Mai 美团外卖. The good news is it has a collection of restaurants and shops that deliver. The bad news is like others it is a Chinese interface. When using the app your location can either be entered manually or automatically via GPS location services. Unfortunately it is limited in the amount of vendors providing fresh produce and fruits. You can use Eleme饿了么 and BaiDu WaiMai 百度外卖, both also allow you to have the meals delivered if within a certain distance of the restaurant. They all provide photos and usually some discounts. These apps are only in Chinese but with some practice, you will get the hang of it.
Other apps for international chains such as Starbucks and McDonalds offer English. They may have discounts for home delivery if you are within a reasonable distance. KFC and Pizza Hut (same parent: Yum Foods) also have apps with similar features but only in Chinese. When using Starbucks for example with location services enabled, as soon as the app is opened, it is easy to GPS locate nearby shops. Particularly in terms of accessing accurate location information, the official apps of each brand tend to be better than map based apps. There have been instances where a map app doesn’t show a nearby location when in fact there is a store in the vicinity. Thus, while it is a hassle to download an app for every specific company, in terms of avoiding delays with going somewhere only to find that the shop is closed or moved makes the extra effort to use official apps instead of map apps worth its while.
Almost everything can be purchased and delivered on-line. The most commonly used are TaoBao 淘宝, Tmall 天猫 and JD.Com 京东 again all these are in Chinese only and require a local credit card or bank card. But very efficient, once orders are placed delivery is usually within 48 hours. Everything under the sun can be purchased, my wife needed some rosemary spice and could not find it in any market, she bought it for 11rmb on Taobao and it was delivered the next day (there was a delivery charge of 15rmb, usually a small delivery charge for small orders). She has also ordered frozen seafood, live crabs and other foodstuffs with no problem. Expats without cars can completely change the way they shop via this app and those like it. Especially heavy items like anything liquid, such as drinks, laundry detergent or cleaning supplies can all be delivered right to your door. Bulky items like toilet paper, paper towels, Kleenex and the like can also be delivered instead of going to the store and having to carry them home. Keep in mind there are similar apps like 1 Hao Dian (1号店), Fei Niu Wang (飞牛网), and Shun Feng Xuan Shou (顺丰选手) that offer similar services. The key is to check each app for promotions and discounts as sometimes the same product will be slightly cheaper at one particular vendor.
However, you should check the reviews of previous customers and how frequent the item was purchased before making your final decision. In fact, this is such an important feature, that once she submitted a negative review, the supplier called several times to ask her to repeal the comments and even offered her cash incentives to retract, so not sure if you can rely on the process.
Also these apps provide a good opportunity for expats to get familiar with the Chinese vocabulary related to common household goods. Keep in mind when using these apps you will be required to provide contact information such as name, address and cell phone number. In addition, the delivery person may contact you as part of the delivery process. So be ready to take a call in Chinese. Another feature is scheduling the date and time of delivery. This feature sometimes is not available due to high order volume or some other reason, or it will result in an additional fee being charged. Often though, you can specify a delivery date and time at no additional charge. Also, the app allows for GPS tracking of the delivery which is handy to determine if your order is about to arrive. Another option is to simply call the driver directly using the contact information in the app to confirm exactly when he will be delivering the goods. In certain situations, such as where you can't make it home in time to get a previously scheduled delivery, this can be a lifesaver, as you can ask them to make the delivery later or even wait until the following day.
Housing
Much to one's dismay, we all sooner or later need to move. When the time comes two apps are useful. The first is Lianjia 链家 and the second is Wo Ai Wo Jia 我爱我家. Keep in mind that Lianjia has decent home availability for Tianjin. However, Wo Ai Wo Jia seems to not be offering Tianjin services at this time, while other cities are available. If Tianjin expats find themselves needing to relocate locally or to another city, use these apps to get a good idea of apartment availability and pricing. Be aware, places can go really fast. So at times, it is good to call immediately and determine if the place is actually somewhere you are interested in moving. When using these apps, you can search by specific apartment community names in Chinese. This will then give you a list of all the places available. Another option is to search by subway stop or area, whereby you can learn which apartment communities are in the area. This can prove helpful for later searching specifically by community name.
Business
On-line Banking is a real advantage whether it is with your foreign bank or local Chinese Bank. Almost all banks now have this capability but just remember to use this in a secure area like home or within your own server location. Do not attempt to do your banking in a public Wi-Fi location for obvious reasons of unwanted hacking and try to change your important passwords on a regular basis.
Ever wonder how to keep all the business cards you receive in a proper file. In the olden days, Rolodex was the reliable way of organizing your business contacts but not very portable so nowadays, there are several apps to help you electronically keep track of your business cards. You may want to try Worldcard which will scan your cards and automatically pick out all the relevant details of Names, addresses, phone numbers and allow you to send emails or call directly from this app. You can also create different categories such as hotels, restaurants, company sectors and other cities. The other advantage of this app is it allows you to scan the Chinese side of the app so you can send a screen shot if you want to reference it to a Chinese contact.
Entertainment
Games - our friend Kate, reminded us to make sure to include this in the article. No doubt most commuters are on the same wavelength as you see everyone on the Subway and Busses with their heads bowed not in pray but usually playing their favorite game. The games are so sophisticated now that you can compete with your friends. My have times changed since the invention of the first game "Pong" released in 1972 and the public version of "PacMan" which came out in 1980 are considered prehistorically simple when compared with what is out there now.
Movies and Music can be purchased from iTunes and Apple but probably in order to access the goodies users will need a VPN (Virtual Private Network). There are numerous options, and many are free. One, you may want to try is Betternet. Once you have your VPN in place, you will be able to access Facebook and YouTube.
News apps are abundant, you can select all types of apps from your hometown but some may be blocked so you will need a reliable VPN in order to access. Also many of these apps will only provide a brief summary or limit the number of news items to be accessed without paying for a subscription.
Conclusion
We have only touched the tip of iceberg so to say in terms of what is available with apps that can make your life easier in China. Remember though to use them wisely. My friend Jordi prides himself on the fact that he only has apps that are free on his phone despite how attractive the company makes their new and advanced features seem to be for a fee. The relative cheapness of apps is what makes them so compelling to buy. Still those dollars do add up. So try to avoid buying apps on sheer impulse or to keep up with the Jones.
Incredibly, about a decade ago we mainly used phones for calling and texting. The first generation iPad according to Wikipedia was "unveiled" in January, 2010. That means the "app" phenomena really is less than 10 years old! Yet, most of us probably can hardly imagine living without our "app" enabled devices. Taking a moment to realize that life is possible without this digital disruption is positive. Likewise, setting boundaries to our app use and exercising self control in terms of what apps we install is also absolutely mandatory in an effort to keep apps amazing and not turn into abominable.
