iPhone Announced for Hong Kong and Macau

[MacRumors]

Hutchison Telecommunications Limited announced that the iPhone would be coming to Hong Kong and Macau later this year.

Hong Kong and Macau, 29th May 2008 - Hutchison Telecommunications Limited today announced that it has signed an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone to Hong Kong and Macau later this year.

No other details as has been typical for these international iPhone announcements.

Article Link

[erandall38]

This should help give AAPL a nice boost tomorrow.

[samh004]

Oh goodie, this is exactly what the doctor ordered. Good bye Australia, I'll now be buying my new iPhone in Hong Kong, without the GST and other high costs associated with Australia.

Awesome news!

[matthewlesh]

Originally Posted by samh004

Oh goodie, this is exactly what the doctor ordered. Good bye Australia, I'll now be buying my new iPhone in Hong Kong, without the GST and other high costs associated with Australia.

Awesome news!

Lol.. Yes.. me to. I guess they'll pop up on ebay like flies.. or just new time i'm up that way.

[un3creation]

To be fair, I am totally disappointed on this agreement.

3HK has no taste at all....
especially on how they treat their customers...
the network quality...and how they deal with problems...

I mean ...think about it....
what if the UK's sole iPhone operator be 3UK? will you guys happy?
or shall i just say....
is there any 3 has got the contract for iPhone in other place?
come on....it is certainly not a good news for local people...
This time...apple's choice is so poor ....they have chosen the worst one...in HK.

[lowbb]

better than peoples at least

[LionsKiss]

I am on SmarTone-Vodafone in HK so not the best news. But hopefully 3 in HK will be selling it unlocked. Well if they are not, the prices of unlocked phones in HK of iphone 2 should be more reasonable. Assuming that the locking mechanism has not improved.

[008325]

Originally Posted by lowbb

better than peoples at least

Peoples network better than 3HK , 500% Sure

[ptlnfc]

I hope they'd sell the iphone just like other mobiles -- without being locked to a certain network.

[samh004]

Obviously I'm counting on the iPhone being sold at a slightly pricier unlocked rate. I wouldn't buy it tied to a particular provider as I travel a lot and do not roam, I switch SIM cards.

And I'm with People's in HK and it's crap where I am. China Mobile generally screws me with their coverage taking over my area and I get done for roaming.

[matthutch]

Originally Posted by 008325

Peoples network better than 3HK , 500% Sure

Coverage for peoples is horrible. I had nothing but trouble with them. I found 3 had better coverage, not all 3G but their 2G fail over network gave me much better coverage than Peoples.

[joeshell383]

Well this is just getting ridiculous. I think the question is now who ISN'T getting the iPhone!

[Yvan256]

Originally Posted by joeshell383

Well this is just getting ridiculous. I think the question is now who ISN'T getting the iPhone!

Canadians.

Once we see the rates, it will probably be the same as not getting it, anyway. Not to mention that Rogers has zero coverage for my area.

[samh004]

Originally Posted by matthewlesh

Lol.. Yes.. me to. I guess they'll pop up on ebay like flies.. or just new time i'm up that way.

I thought you were from Melbourne, not Hong Kong.

What would you be doing in Hong Kong?

[abrooks]

Originally Posted by Yvan256

Canadians.

Once we see the rates, it will probably be the same as not getting it, anyway. Not to mention that Rogers has zero coverage for my area.

You can't say you're not getting it as Rogers has officially announced that they will bring the iPhone to Canada.

[watergun]

Darn, I am too disappointed with Apple's choice for HK network provider. CSL and Smartone-Vodafone both are much better than 3. $$$ over quality, I guess. The good news though is that iPhone is finally here...officially LOL...

[overminer]

My Uncle in HK should be real happy. No more black market iphones.

[stagi]

Great news! Thats a huge market and I hope they do well over there.

[ptlnfc]

it's legally, but not officially there. so i think it would be more appropriate to call it 'grey market' instead of 'black market'.

[nikiski]

To be fair, Smartone-Vodafone has the best coverage (number of cell towers). I don't think 3 even comes close.

I would prefer PCCW though. I'm with them at the moment. Actually, my whole family is on PCCW. At least PCCW don't put a "3" or "Smartone" logo on their phones.

[rtao]

3HK has to be the most stupid choice in Hong Kong, very bad call quality on their 3G network, thanks to their Japanese partner NTT DoCoMo, they are using some early adapter backbone equipments and that just made you feel like you are talking to someone "underwater" most of the time.

Thank You, Mr. Lee


by the way, if Smartone is not going to carry iPhone in the near future, I am going to get that fancy HTC Touch Diamond instead and say no to Mr. Lee

[hene01]

I am moving to hong kong in august and planning on getting an iphone from there, if it is possible to get it without being locked to any particular service provider. Anyone from HK who can make any educated guess if it will be locked to the service provider who is going to have the rights to it, or will it work with all service providers(without being hacked).

thanks in advance.

[rtao]

Originally Posted by hene01

I am moving to hong kong in august and planning on getting an iphone from there, if it is possible to get it without being locked to any particular service provider. Anyone from HK who can make any educated guess if it will be locked to the service provider who is going to have the rights to it, or will it work with all service providers(without being hacked).

thanks in advance.

Normally handsets sold by the carriers here in Hong Kong are locked, but from time to time there are models that are not, no one know until it release

[matthewlesh]

Originally Posted by samh004

I thought you were from Melbourne, not Hong Kong.

What would you be doing in Hong Kong?

Holidaying or i could ask a friend who's their holidaying or for business.

[naashraf]

Originally Posted by rtao

Normally handsets sold by the carriers here in Hong Kong are locked, but from time to time there are models that are not, no one know until it release

I do not think your statement is right here. I live here and have used all of the service providers in last 10 years. I have been into contracts and non-contracts. The thing is the phone itself is NOT locked to any SIM or network however, you are tied to a contract that you have to fulfill. So you can continue the contract with say, Smartone-Vodafone and yet insert PCCW SIM.

You will need to keep paying Smartone-Vodafone for the contract period.

Also, mostly you pay the full price of the phone and if you are under a contract you will be paid back say around US$5~7 each month. This is the benefit of the contract here.

Of course you can buy ANY phone without any contract and service provider will not give you any monthly pay-back.

I am with PEOPLES and I agree their service is not very good. But they have the cheapest international rates and the only provider with EDGE in Hong Kong.