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Fri, 26 Sep 2008 Apple selling unlocked iPhone 3G in Hong Kong

Apple Store Hong Kong offers unlocked iPhones

Sumner Lemon

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Apple is selling the iPhone 3G on its Apple Store website in Hong Kong, promising the phones "can be activated with any wireless carrier."

The Apple Store in Hong Kong is selling the 8GB and 16GB iPhone 3G models for HK$5,400 ($695) and HK$6,200, respectively, with free shipping. The store advertises the compatibility of the phones with any carrier, saying, "Simply insert the SIM [subscriber identity module] from your current phone into iPhone 3G and connect to iTunes 8 to complete activation."

On the Apple Store's main page for Hong Kong, the site says, "Buy directly from Apple. And choose your carrier."

"Customer response to the iPhone 3G has been off the charts, and we are thrilled to offer our customers in Hong Kong another way to get their hands on this revolutionary device," an Apple spokeswoman said in an email response to questions.

The company did not comment on whether online iPhone 3G sales and activation will be extended to other markets.

The iPhone 3G has been available in Hong Kong since July 11 through Hutchison Telecommunications. The cheapest monthly plan offered by the operator charges HK$2,938 for the 8GB version and HK$3,738 for the 16GB one, along with a two-year contract that costs HK$188 per month.

Checks of the Apple Store in the US, the UK, and Singapore, show the iPhone 3G is not available for sale online. Instead, the sites offer a link to a list of stores where the phone is on sale.

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Comments received


AppleObserver said on Fri, 26 Sep 2008

Interesting move. Be nice if they did that here.

I wonder what has happened to the rumors of Orange signing up the iPhone towards the later end of this year?

James said on Fri, 26 Sep 2008

It's because there is no take-up out there due to lack of functionality.

Chris said on Fri, 26 Sep 2008

Orange Slovakia sells ALL iPhones unlocked, even those sold with monthly plans. T-mobile Slovakia locks monthly plan iPhones, but sells unlocked iPhones without a plan.

Chris said on Fri, 26 Sep 2008

Orange Slovakia sells ALL iPhones unlocked, even those sold with monthly plans. T-mobile Slovakia locks monthly plan iPhones, but sells unlocked iPhones without a plan.

Liam said on Fri, 26 Sep 2008

I wonder if the Orange UK rumour was true, were they not apparently announcing it next month?

odaiwai said on Fri, 26 Sep 2008

>It's because there is no
> take-up out there due to
> lack of functionality.

No, that's completely wrong.

There is a huge population of jailbroken iPhone 2Gs here. I always see at least two to three other iPhones on my daily commute on the bus. At least five people in my office (of 50 people) have them.

Quite a few people have 3G iPhones, but the plans are not very good value.

This is more about Apple realising that the rest of the world doesn't think much of the very broken American Cell Phone system where you are locked to one carrier.

While phones here in Hong Kong are sold as part of a contract, the only phone locked into a single carrier is the iPhone.

sip said on Fri, 26 Sep 2008

Someone at Orange told me about three months ago that they would start selling iPhones in about a years time, so mid-2009.

Also, Orange is touting the Blackberry Bold (out of stock) against the iPhone...

@odaiwai said on Fri, 26 Sep 2008

In Japan it is not selling. It is xxx compared to a N95 8gb. Fashion accessory without functionality.

Dragonfly said on Mon, 29 Sep 2008

I think tying in with one network was probably necessary at first, to help recoup development costs, but possibly not so much now ?

I'll do a bit of Macworld UK research and put the value into '£' (Don't know why they think $695 will mean anything to most people in the UK.)

"The Apple Store in Hong Kong is selling the 8GB and 16GB iPhone 3G models for HK$5,400 (£381) and HK$6,200 (£438), respectively."

Still about £150 too high if you ask me :-)


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