Through a press release received by WinandMac, Apple’s official carrier partner in Hong Kong, 3 HK, has announced that it will begin selling iPhone 3GS on July 10th. Detail pricing for the two models (16GB and 32GB) will be announced on July 9, 2009, 15:00 HK time.
I am still trying to confirm with my sources whether Authorized Apple Resellers in Hong Kong and Apple Online Store Hong Kong will begin selling the iPhone 3GS also on July 10, 2009.
Sweeeeeeeeet. Thanks for the update! So can we assume other locations will also be offering it soon? Let us know what you find out!Oh, and I'm assuming this is factory unlocked?
looking forward to it, can't wait
I heard a rumour that the 3GS will only be available for the first 6 months on 3, then it will be available for general sale. I hope this isn't true.
Unfortunately, I hear the same rumor.
I pray that is not the case. I need a phone badly and need to be able to use it all over the world. Not cool Apple! Ironic that the Apple online store Australia is selling them sim unlocked even though the local Aussie telcos are selling them locked. Australia didnt have that option last time around, now they do and we don't in HK? That sounds like a load of __ to me.
I pray that is not the case. I need a phone badly and need to be able to use it all over the world. Not cool Apple! Ironic that the Apple online store Australia is selling them sim unlocked even though the local Aussie telcos are selling them locked. Australia didnt have that option last time around, now they do and we don't in HK? That sounds like a load of __ to me.
It's not that they sell them locked in HK. Even the ones from 3 on contract are SIM unlocked already. But the problem is that possibly initially you can only buy the phone from 3 with a contract, rather than buying it outright.
ohh, I see. I do find it weird that apple has coming soon on the online store. It has the same layout as Australia which sells it online.
Australia was one of the initial launch countries that received their iPhone 3GS on June 19th.
i understand that Australia was one of the initial launch countries. My point was, why put coming soon in their online store if its not going to be sold there, and instead sold by third parties. In the US online store there are no buy tabs at all for the iphone online. The fact that the HK site is the same format as other sites that sell it online directly from Apple is encouraging. If they were not selling it directly then I think we would see a format more similar to the US site. Just my opinion.
Oh… Jim,You are absolutely correct.I don't think anyone of us doubt that Apple Hong Kong will sell the “SIM unlock” version of the iPhone 3GS without carrier-contract. That will happen, the only uncertainty is whether Apple Online Store Hong Kong and the other Authorized Apple Resellers in Hong Kong will start to sell the iPhone 3GS tomorrow (July 10) or months later like last year with the iPhone 3G.
New iPhone 3G S finally available here: http://tinyurl.com/appleiphone3gsHKprices without contract:16GB: HK$538832GB: HK$6288So i can stay with Smartone!
Hi Vinko:Did you receive your 3GS from HK yet? If so, were you able to activate it with a US iTunes account (hence US credit card) and a Tmobile or AT&T SIM card?Thanks,Taggert
I had my iPhone 3GS from Apple Online Store Hong Kong since Last Tuesday (July 14th).It is officially unlocked by Apple it can be activated on any GSM mobile carrier in the world.Since I live in Hong Kong I do not use it with a T-Mobile SIM card.
Vinko,I live in Velize and I have ordered my iPhone from Apple online store. You had am earlier post that I needed an iTunes HK account to activate it. I now have that, but I am wondering if I wasted my $$$, if I need a HK sim card to be able to activate it. I would appreciate your input, as I have found nothing conclusive online from anyone. You are the closest I have come to finding out anything definitive. For the record, Belize is in Central America, just south of Mexico.
Vinko,I live in Velize and I have ordered my iPhone from Apple online store. You had am earlier post that I needed an iTunes HK account to activate it. I now have that, but I am wondering if I wasted my $$$, if I need a HK sim card to be able to activate it. I would appreciate your input, as I have found nothing conclusive online from anyone. You are the closest I have come to finding out anything definitive. For the record, Belize is in Central America, just south of Mexico.
The iPhone from Apple Online Store HK will accept SIM cards from any GSM carriers.Since beginning of this year, I had since activated the iPhone 3G and 3GS using non-iTunes Store HK accounts.BTW: where are you getting your iPhone 3GS from Apple Online Store HK sent to?
I am having it posted to me here in Belize, Central America, by
registered post. I am truly nervous about the whole process, as it is
the first time that I am doing something like this.
BTW, you don’t need a credit card to get an iTunes account, from HK or
any other iTunes country. Goto iTunes store, ensure you are not signed
into an existing iTunes account, then select a free App to “purchase”,
then select “create a new account”. When the credit card details pops
up there will be an option marked “none”. Select that put in
accountholder details, then send. Then check your email for the email
with the verification link. Click on the link, after which you will be
provided with the congratulations message, and then you can log into
iTunes.
It is a sweet affair.
Carlo A. Mason
From My iPod Touch
Hopefully no typos…
I understand that you do not need a local credit card to open an iTunes Store account of the respective country. You can also use other means to fund the account without using a local credit card. Although, since doing so violates Apple iTunes Store’s Terms of Use, that is why I am not discussing those options or methods here on my Blog.
Funny, because Apple gives you the procedure if you search for it on
their website, under Support.
I did not know that this was a violation of Apple iTunes Store’s Terms
of Use, never did read that EULA dribble, although I should. Thanks.
The Apple instructions you’re referring to are so that people can purchase free iPhone applications and for people who does not have a credit card.To you these local iTunes Stores account to purchase content, the alternative method of funding the account is to use an iTunes Store Gift Card. Although, purchasing anything from these local iTunes Stores when the user is not a resident of the respective iTunes Store location is a violation of the iTunes Store EULA.
Thanks, Vinko,
But I find that to be a circular argument. You are saying that Apple
will allow me, a non HK user, to open a HK iTunes Store account, yet
then turn around and tell me that the very thing they have expressly
allowed me to do is a violation of the very agreement they enter into
with me? That to me sounds so circular, and in any reputable court of
law, would be immediately ridiculed and rejected.
But then worse judgments have come into court, so anything can happen.
Thanks,
Plebbe
Wait, you used a non HK iTunes account to activate a 3GS? so then I don’t need my hk iTunes account to activate my iPhone? I have a US iTunes account, which I use for my iPod Touch, with a bunch of free Apps. I would love to continue using the alsame account, but I created the hk account just in case.I will let you know how it turns out, for sure.Carlo A. Mason From My iPod TouchHopefully no typos…
The iPhone from Apple Online Store HK will accept SIM cards from any GSM carriers.Since beginning of this year, I had since activated the iPhone 3G and 3GS using non-iTunes Store HK accounts.BTW: where are you getting your iPhone 3GS from Apple Online Store HK sent to?
I need to be clear on this. I am in Belize, I have an iPhone coming to me. I now have a HK iTunes account. I had a US account as well. Vinko, you responded to me saying that you activated 3GS without a HK account. That would be excellent, but I need confirmation that the non-HK SIM Card can be used in the phone at the time of activation. Please advise if I need to have a HK SIM Card or not, to effect the activation.Your feedback on this will be GREATLY APPRECIATED.
I cannot personally confirm that an iPhone 3GS from Apple Online Store HK can be activated without a SIM card from one of the HK GSM carriers, but I can confirm that there are several readers who had activated the iPhone 3GS from Apple Online Store HK with SIM cards from GSM carriers outside of HK. Like China, Philippines and Singapore.
If I read this correctly then, Apple really is only looking for the iTunes account.Thank you Vinko, this helps tremendously.
I am glad I can help.Actually, Apple HK appears to have changed its method of authenticating iPhone through iTunes some time at the beginning of this year.When I switched to the iPhone 3G last year, iTunes activated the iPhone 3G without explicitly contacting iTunes Store, but some time after December last year iTunes would explicitly contact iTunes Store, but it is uncertain which iTunes Store the iTunes application is contacting.