Hi,

Just wondering if anyone knows a reliable place to buy the officially unlocked iPhone in HK.
May have a relative going there soon this month.

If you know of any place and the price, I appreciate your help.
Afraid of being conned or bumping into the wrong sellers.

Thanks!

@tALEz,
Just get it off an either an official Apple Store or an official Apple Reseller's Shop and U should be oK

tink you can't buy it from an official place because they need a HK ID. I know, I tried

@tishaban,
Ah well.. in that case just get to know a Hongkie and then drag him to the shop with U... after which, buy him lunch. How difficult is that?!

We tried that with several Honkies in the store. My rich brother in law offered money, more valuable than just lunch but they also refused.

I think we needed your charm and magic

Seriously? I want tumpang can?

@tishaban,
U shouldn't have asked those people in the Store. Should have just walked off to the supermarket and got some auntie to help u. Ah well.. next time bring me along and I'll get U a set [U did say ur BIL is rich, unlike U and me?! ]

Yes BIL is richer than most of us. He's in the oil and gas business

I did try several official places in HK including Fortress and a few telcos. The thing is they needed a HK ID no matter what. This was back in November. They even had a few kiosks at the airport selling iPhones, but they wouldn't sell it to foreigners. What's the point of opening a kiosk at the airport if you can't sell it to people without HK IDs???

I saw unofficial places selling them too, didn't ask how much they were though.


This post has been edited by tishaban: Feb 2 2009, 06:30 PM

@tishaban,
Ah well....... isn't everyone in the O&G business rich?! Haven't U been following the other thread?! [then again, I'd been MIA-ing more often than U!]

oK.. I'm off for dinner.. Ta !

I believe that Fortress and other telco stores in HK r selling it bundle with contract... tat y u will not be able purchase it.... (this is before I left HK in OCT 08)

there is not other outlet in HK tat sell you outright the 3g iphone.... unless u go to mongkok area (sincere complex)...... there they sell hk official unlocked and gray unit from US, AUS, NZ..... its kinda of hard to differentiate those units coz tat place r full of conmen...

get it from hk apple online store...... shipping is only available in hk....

http://store.apple.com/hk/browse/home/shop...e/family/iphone

juz get your uncle to purchase it online and deliver to your uncle place....

Guys, thx very much for the recommendations.
I'm still not sure which approach to go, but you gave me some ideas.

@duckevo, great link. But may I ask:
- if we buy online via that link, does that mean it's officially unlocked?
and can jailbreak etc ourselves?

sorry, kinda noob.

This post has been edited by tALEz: Feb 2 2009, 11:14 PM

@duckevo,
I believe the problem arised because we have no relatives or friends in HK

Actually come to think of it, that link sells the 16GB set for HK$ 6,200.
Even though free shipping, convert liao still become 2,891.85 MYR.
Wow isn't that too expensive?

@tALEz,
The HK sets are unlocked sets; usable without having to jailbreak

This post has been edited by tinkerbel: Feb 2 2009, 11:49 PM

@ tinkerbel, i been asking all my colleagues in hk bout this..... and its been stated tat those outlets will not sell it outright..... nid 2 sign with a contract and direct debit with a hk-issued credit card..... hence, tat the reason they onli sell it to hk ppl.... i been there for 3 long months and survey the whole hong kong basically..... the only option tat i have was juz mongkok area b4 hk apple online store start selling it....

@ tALEz, its all bout the currency xchange rate, when i bought it tat time, i fork out around 2.7k MYR..... if u wan better rate, i suggest u get some1 2 buy it from vodafone NZ..... not sure if there are still selling it....

the reason y hk online store is selling it is to counter those gray set selling in hk...... not many ppl in hk would like 2 sign up for the contract... they find it 2 expensive and not to mention the bad coverage of 3 HK....

thanks for the info.

want to ask, if buy directly from the store in hk will be how much?
and what about buy direct from singtel in singapore?

wondering coz dont know whether it's better to save hassle and just buy from those ppl selling in Garage Sales forum.

@duckevo,
If ur desperate enough u'll pay in advance for all those Otherwise, if ur truly desperate, go over to SG / AU / NZ and get a fully unlocked set

haha...i'm not tat desperate to go and get those contract based iphones..... juz wait for the right moment 2 get hold of those outright official unlocked at that time....

but luck was on my side that hk online store was selling it without any contract or wat so ever and juz in time b4 i left HK...

@tALEz, i only know that the online store is selling at the advert price..... not sure bout the price in mongkok area, coz it changed everywk... similar like lowyat plaza... singtel set is tied to contract as well.... advisable to get it from ppl in GS if u wan singtel set....

I checked, the prices for Singtel unlocked sets on LYN are cheaper than official Apple Store prices in HK. Maybe easier to get warranty in Singapore?

Or better still wait 6 months for the rumored iPhone 3G version 2

rumors cannot be trusted la bro.. later wait 6 months and get a big disappointment instead how? waste 6 months of waiting.. haha i think the cheapest still NZ set... if possible get it from Magnum Mac... 8GB = $979NZ , 16GB = $11**NZ. Exchange rate only 1.9 now..