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It’s Finally Here, Antenna and All: The iPhone 4 Arrives in Hong Kong At Midnight
Which operator doesn’t have an iPhone 4 plan?
We’ve waited, we’ve smuggled, we’ve imported, now its our turn Hong Kong – at the stroke of midnight Hong Kong will be joining the iWorld with the launch of the iPhone 4.
Life was so much simpler when the iPhone 3G came out – only 3HK had the JesusPhone, now it seems everyone and their uncle has the iPhone 4 and plan to go alongside it.
We’ve posted the Smartone-Vodafone here so here are the rest just in case you need to figure them all out before getting ready for the big kick-off tonight.
The amazing power of the internet and Twitter in Hong Kong – @penguinsix found this great Google Spreadsheet that lists all the iPhone 4 plans in Hong Kong so you can compare all of them and make a decision based on pricing – it includes:
- Smartone-Vodafone
- CSL
- 1O1O
- PCCW
- 3HK
- One2Free
If you want to see it online click here and thanks to @JL8730 for making it and letting us sleep in saving us time.
We have to say, after telling our US friends about these plans they are extremely jealous of us – so never complain about the price of voice and data plans in Hong Kong again people – sure you can moan about contracts, but as you know if you have the money you can buy the iPhone 4 outright from Apple and choose a pay-as-you-go plan from any of the operators – how flexible is that?!!
Smartone-Vodafone is also taking pre-orders today starting at 2pm – just in case this crazy rain keeps people off the streets at midnight.
So lets hear from you now – which plan will you be signing up for tonight?
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The one thing that I realized after comparing things in that chart is that the difference in price for unlimited plans worked out to about, at most, $1000HK or so, which is LESS than one month of my AT&T iPhone bill in the USA. After going through all that, I basically decided that it’s going to come down to network speed and reliability more than cost. Now to figure out the answer to that question….
I think a majority of HK people will say Smartone-Vodafone has the best service and customer service.
1O1O has the best service for business users and thus more expensive.
I’ve used 3 for years and never had any problems so I will probably just re-up my contract with them.
Hey, thanks for the spreadsheet! Just one question though–the prices for 3HK from row 54 to 58…how did you come up with those prices and how do they differ from the official ones found on their website (row 17 to 32)? Thanks!
I’m not sure about specifics on that spreadsheet but I do believe it is a “work in progress” by the guy who created it. It’s changed several times since I first saw it yesterday. Numbers are being reworked by the carriers, and some of it might be on now dated information (dated by only 24 hours but still dated).
Andrew – if you ever find out the answer to your last question please let me know!!!
YEAH forget the contracts – I’m going to buy it contract free and cut my SIM card down that I have now.
The real question is who is going out at midnight tonight to get an iPhone?
any appe dealers/stores selling it sim free besides online apple store?
GREAAATT !!!! Just one question : Apple store is only online or there is a real apple store here in Hong Kong except the dealers because I would like to buy it tonight
)
Thanks for the answers
anyone has feedback on Three? thinking of switching over from Smartone.
I have heard of 0 (zero) resellers who will have the iPhone tonight or anytime soon at the retail level. I think the Apple Store online will be selling eventually, but personally think that after a token amount to make some people happy we’ll fall into the same 3 week delay that every other Apple online store in the world is currently showing for unlocked phones.
iPhone launch in HK, so disappointing. Cannot buy stand-a-lone iPhones4′s until September from authorized dealers. 3 has sent me a text to wait 10 days but IMO after 10 days all the iPhone4′s in HK will be gone. CRAP…
I called up 3HK today since I got my 10 day waiting crap from 3 over SMS. The woman on the phone said it was “suggested” to wait until THEY call you to tell you a time and location to pick up the phone, but supposedly they have them in stock tomorrow. I’m considering waking up at the you know what of dawn to go to a 3HK store…
3 Shop in TST is take orders starting 5 pm for delivery tomorrow
how do you get a phone number for an individual 3hk shop!??
@Andrew Leyden
Fastest network in HK is smartone vodafone and a hell of alot better customer service from what i’ve experienced
Why isnt the iPhone 4 avaliable in the apple store of HK today???????
Now to see when I’m gonna get a ‘very good’ friend to go and take it from HK for me to BJ
went to 3HK, still told the 10 day crap. Waiting for my text message…
@Samantha: the same for me, gosh 10 business days is a long time …
Does anyone know where to get a tool to cut a sim card in Hong Kong, like the following http://www.cutmysim.com/ ?
Don’t get the iPhone 4! I sucks!
Popped into a 3Shop to complain why those who walked-in at the stroke of midnight could get the iPhone 4 whereas being a registrant who’s registered an interest is made to wait for 10 days for a message. Told ALL those who got an iPhone 4 were registrants who had received invitations. True? A lie?
@ Nick
supposedly the people who were at 3ree iPhone Night as it was dubbed, were people specifically VIP, celeb, and other specific people who were allowed to get the one from 3HK last night. So now the rest of us have to wait for a frickin’ text message!
I have a relative in HK until 8/8. Is there anywhere she can buy the iphone 4 at around the suggested retail price?
Getting my iPhone4 personally shipped from Canada!! This Apple Online Store wait is crap and the carriers not selling stand-a-lone iPhone4′s is crap. Again, what a disappointing launch in Hong Kong. Way to look out for the regular peps in the city…
@andybot – nope! You can only buy it from Apple.com/hk – but delivery time is 3 weeks so your relative needs to stay until August 23rd at the earliest.
@Mark – I agree but the real regular peeps have no idea how to turn on their iPhone without a sim card. Also not everyone can afford $5K at once so the contract plan is more affordable to some.
this is ridiculous. I read an article today saying all iphone 4′s are sold out. What kind of priority system were they using? Personally I think it should have been done a la the US in an “every man/woman for his/herself.” instead of this “we’ll schedule your pick-up arrangements” crap.
@ Samantha
You’re wrong. A guy I know said he’s not registered at all. He got 3 iPhone 4 16GB in one go. I rang Customer Service (3162 3333) and they dodged the question. And forget about being a “selected customer” to get one at the “launch phase” and will be contacted in 10 days. They’ve run out of stock ‘cos presumably they’ve given them all out to their mates etc., but not us “selected customers” They’re deceitful and I’ll be trying out to get out of my contract w/them. Customer Hotline Mr. Dicky Wong (supervisor), Ms. Fung and Ms. Wong all contradict themselves. Shows what length they’d go to to lie to us. 3HK sucks.
Yeah, getting the run around on the phone. Yesterday they said “0″ stock. Today they said they have “limited stock” and are waiting for more to come in before giving out their current stock. Something tells me what they have is kept for returns or exchanges, so the rest of us suffer. UGH.
@ Samantha
They’re obviously lying bast**ds. They never tell U the truth. Just like Dicky Wong, Ms. Fung and Ms. Wong at 3162 3333. I take it U’re talking about 3HK. Tomorrow is my 10th day. No sign of a text message. They’ve run out of stock w/o selling to registered customers. U can only be “registered” to be one who will not be getting an iPhone. Not one who’ll get one anytime soon.