Buying 3GS From Hong Kong. Please Help Guys

[scrappydoo93]

Hi guys,

I'm on a business meeting to Hong Kong next week and I'm thinking of purchasing an Unlocked 3GS from HK. I have a few question guys.

1. Is the Apple Online Store are the only people selling contract free unlocked iPhones? I wont be able to purchase from an Online store since I would be staying just 2 days.
2. Apple Premium Resellers, located in Hong Kong, are they selling iPhones just as the Apple online store? Sim Free Unlocked ones? (http://www.apple.com/hk/buy/reseller.html)

From doing a lot of google search, i came across this information

From the prices of these plans, it indicates that the “contract-free” version to be sold at Apple Online Store Hong Kong and other Authorized Apple Resellers will be around the same HKD5400.00 and HKD6200.00 prices respectively; as with the iPhone 3G, for the 16GB abd 32GB models.

Source

I'm not sure of the source. Could you please help me with this issue?

I would be very thankful.

Thanks in Advance,
Benna

 

[kslau138]

Hi guys,

I'm on a business meeting to Hong Kong next week and I'm thinking of purchasing an Unlocked 3GS from HK. I have a few question guys.

1. Is the Apple Online Store are the only people selling contract free unlocked iPhones? I wont be able to purchase from an Online store since I would be staying just 2 days.
2. Apple Premium Resellers, located in Hong Kong, are they selling iPhones just as the Apple online store? Sim Free Unlocked ones? (http://www.apple.com/hk/buy/reseller.html)

From doing a lot of google search, i came across this information


Source

I'm not sure of the source. Could you please help me with this issue?

I would be very thankful.

Thanks in Advance,
Benna

upto this moment, Apple have no official standalone 3GS iphone (without subscription contract) sold in any shop on the street. Thus the only way to buy an proper Hong Kong 3GS IPhone, you have to order it from Hong Kong Apple Store.

 

[scrappydoo93]

since ill be staying just for 2 days, i wont be able to get it form the Online Store. Is there any other way that i can get an unlocked phone in HK?

If i buy it from HK 3, with a contract, is that phone completely unlocked, without the fear of having locked in the future?

 

[labman]

in two days

I would be really leery of buying a Iphone in Hong Kong most likely you will end up with a knock off they call them Hiphones they are cheap and maybe fun to play with if you know what they are. but you could end up ripped of big time. my advice enjoy Hong Kong get a local to take you around but him dinner etc but the markets there are really cool and lots to see. enjoy the sites other times to shop for a phone Hong Kong has rules about wifi too so even if you could get one it might be crippled. this link will show you some Hipone knocks off. oh yeah you can get great deals on DVD movies there too just know they are pirated and you need a all regions player. imo enjoy the food and the sites when you have time leave phone shopping for another time.

check out these fake phones
http://www.madeinchina.com/wholesale-catelog/Apple-iPhones_008003001.shtml

 

[gngan]

I'm from Hong Kong and hope my information helps. There isn't an Apple retail shops that sells iPhone. Only Apple Hong Kong (online store) and 3 telecom sells iPhone. iPhone from 3 telecom is a factory unlock iphone therefore you do not need to worry about it. I'm not sure if you need their data plan in order get the iphone. You should definitely check it out when you are here. You might be able to pay full price for the iphone without any data plan.

Maybe you can order the iphone online with the hotel's address that you are going to stay? Order it online several days ahead before going to Hong Kong and tell the hotel about it then get it when you arrive.

 

[scrappydoo93]

Cc

When i checked, a minimum of 1-2 weeks was required for shipping and they required a Credit card with hong kong billing address. So, i don't think i'd be able to pick it up online

I have told one of my friends there to get me one. I guess i will have to pay the price along with the 2 year 3HK contract to get the iPhone

 

[nikchoi]

Hi benna,

You mentioned that if you got your friend over here to buy you one, you would get stuck with a 2 year contract, but if he goes online and buys it for you then you can get the unlocked one?

I was too impatient to go online and phoned most of the authorized dealers and resellers in HK and managed to find one at this place

http://www.apple.com/hk/en/buy/reseller.html

I went to Ultimate Mac and PC on Stanley Street in Central - its just under halfway down the page.

Good luck

Nik

 

[alphaod]

When i checked, a minimum of 1-2 weeks was required for shipping and they required a Credit card with hong kong billing address. So, i don't think i'd be able to pick it up online

I have told one of my friends there to get me one. I guess i will have to pay the price along with the 2 year 3HK contract to get the iPhone

You don't need a contract; just a local shipping address and that wait is not that bad.

 

[hr10]

Right now, Broadway and Fortress (they are like best buy) are selling iPhone 3GS unlocked, no contract required. But they are out of stock and you have to wait for around two weeks. I ordered from Hong Kong Apple store online (no contract, unlocked). It took more than a week to receive it. So i guess you can try buying it online. For billing address, you can try using the address of the hotel you are staying.

 

[watergun]

If you dont mind paying some premium (I have been out of HK for a while now so I am not sure how much they are going for), go to Sintat Building in Mongkok. There are some shops selling iPhone 3GS HK version.

 

[hrv888]

If you dont mind paying some premium (I have been out of HK for a while now so I am not sure how much they are going for), go to Sintat Building in Mongkok. There are some shops selling iPhone 3GS HK version.

Was in hk last month and followed watergun's suggestion. Got the phone from g-world in sintat bldg mongkok. Sold me factory unlocked 32gb 3gs for 1k hkd over the price from apple online. Tel num is 23966900 or 68010050 (mobile) Anson wong was the guy who sold me the phone. Make sure the phone is sealed and ask around first because price varies from every shop. I quickly updated to os3.0.1 b4 to check that it's really factory unlocked. Might want to update it quickly to os3.1 since it's out. btw no apple store in hk sells iPhone. Only online and all network needs to have a dataplan and contract. Goodluck.

 

[Wilkinsons]

Time to bump this thread. I'm off to Hong Kong soon and appreciate if somebody could give me an insight into what the current status is. Are they readily available without a contract? What are the safest places to buy it from? Is there a big risk of getting conned if I buy it from a unofficial shop?

Since I'm only on a short visit I can't have it shipped to a address/hotel from the online store.

 

[likegadgets]

10 days ago the HKIA (Airport) electronics store had the 32GB black in stock (and many of these), unlocked, and was asking 6,999 HK Dollars. I almost picked one up, but decided it was not worth the over $900 US dollar price and not being able to get it serviced anywhere outside Hong Kong.

 

[scrappydoo93]

i got it

Guys,

I was not sure about the shipping date when brought from Online store, so i decided to go ahead and call all the retailers that apple has mentioned in their site, and luckly one of them had JUST 2 PIECES STOCK of the 3GS and luckily i was able to get it from them (without a contract). They took 300 HK$ more than the apple online store price, but still i was ready to pay it. (I brought the 32GB Black version) I heard that there is a shortage of Black phones in HK, while the white ones are available.

Best thing to do, go to the Apple Retailer Locations listed in the Apple HK website, collect the telephone numbers, dial all of them and inquire who has stock.

The iPhone was of course, Factory Unlocked, Contract Free, brand new baby
Benna

Edit: P.S I recommend that you buy it from stores that are listed in the Apple website. Others shops may rip you off.

 

[Wilkinsons]

Guys,

I was not sure about the shipping date when brought from Online store, so i decided to go ahead and call all the retailers that apple has mentioned in their site, and luckly one of them had JUST 2 PIECES STOCK of the 3GS and luckily i was able to get it from them (without a contract). They took 300 HK$ more than the apple online store price, but still i was ready to pay it. (I brought the 32GB Black version) I heard that there is a shortage of Black phones in HK, while the white ones are available.

Best thing to do, go to the Apple Retailer Locations listed in the Apple HK website, collect the telephone numbers, dial all of them and inquire who has stock.

The iPhone was of course, Factory Unlocked, Contract Free, brand new baby
Benna

Edit: P.S I recommend that you buy it from stores that are listed in the Apple website. Others shops may rip you off.

Great advice. By the way, can I expect do get adequate service in english when I call/visit the stores?

 

[scrappydoo93]

Great advice. By the way, can I expect do get adequate service in english when I call/visit the stores?

Most of the employees manage to speak English, but i had one of my colleagues there along with me who spoke the native language along with me. It'd be better if you could find yourself a buddy from your workplace or something like that, since there is a chance that they might rip you off considering as a "tourist"

 

[lanemeyer]

Buying 3GS From Hong Kong. Please Help Guys

Hey, you CAN buy legit factory unlocked iphones from some stores in Mongkok without contract, but you're going to pay $5800 hkd or more. They just buy them from the apple store or authorized reselllers and mark them up to sel to tourists. I am American, living in HK and have been trying to find a source to buy them in bulk and resell in the U.S. but there really seems to be a very small market for them for local dealers to buy them in bulk and hope to resell them. The Chinese are totally cool with the fake ones and there are so many other phones available that do the same thing, it's just not worth it. That said, if you want one, I can get one for the local cost, plus shipping and of course a small fee for me. So, the price right now at Fortess comes out to about $700 USD for an 18 gig 3G. I think it could be worth my while to buy that for someone for $725. Let me know if interested.

 

[army91c]

Hey, you CAN buy legit factory unlocked iphones from some stores in Mongkok without contract, but you're going to pay $5800 hkd or more. They just buy them from the apple store or authorized reselllers and mark them up to sel to tourists. I am American, living in HK and have been trying to find a source to buy them in bulk and resell in the U.S. but there really seems to be a very small market for them for local dealers to buy them in bulk and hope to resell them. The Chinese are totally cool with the fake ones and there are so many other phones available that do the same thing, it's just not worth it. That said, if you want one, I can get one for the local cost, plus shipping and of course a small fee for me. So, the price right now at Fortess comes out to about $700 USD for an 18 gig 3G. I think it could be worth my while to buy that for someone for $725. Let me know if interested.

Send the money via western union wire and Ill mail the phone.... I promise!

Why worry about factory un-locked phone, JB is your friend! I know the updated JB takes time sometimes but well worth it.... plus sometimes the "update" is crap anyway.

 

[sahajesh]

Why worry about factory un-locked phone, JB is your friend! I know the updated JB takes time sometimes but well worth it.... plus sometimes the "update" is crap anyway.

Having bought a factory-locked phone in the UK (on O2 PAYG) and dropping it (by mistake) and having problems with it, I was really hoping that when I took it to the Apple store, they would not upgrade the firmware to 3.1 (for which there is no unlock yet). I have heard that if they are able to fix the phone, they upgrade to latest firmware.

As it turns out, they replaced it with a new one (on f/w 3.0.1) which went straight onto eBay. In the meantime I had bought a factory-unlocked which I now use.

Would you risk having an expensive iPhone that you cannot use for 2 months or so while you wait for JB and unlock?? I wouldn't and from now on, I will never get a locked iPhone again.

I can live without jailbreaking as there is no app that is too important to be without but redsn0w is not the way for me any more.

Sahajesh

 

[vlinkz]

No need to go to Mongkok and trying your luck with the shady stores. Just find one of the Ultimate PC & Mac Gallery shops and get them to order you an iPhone from the Apple store if they don't have any in stock. I got a 32GB one a few days ago for the same price as the HK Apple store and much cheaper than the UK.