Subject: where to get a mobile phone?
michaelj
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Post at 9-11-2009 07:43  Profile P.M. 
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where to get a mobile phone?

Another couple of questions from a newbie planning his first trip to HK:

I do have a Japanese mobile phone. Will I be able to use it in HK?
Can I just buy a sim card to use it? And a prepaid card for
credit?

If the answer to the above is "no", I suppose an option is to buy a
cheap mobile phone and prepaid credit, right?
How would I go about doing that? And what are the costs
I'm looking at?

For what it's worth, I'll be staying near Causeway Bay...

Many thanks in advance!
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Toon4Life
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Post at 9-11-2009 08:23  Profile P.M. 
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There are numerous mobile phone retail branches practically anywhere in HK, Vodafone, Smarttone, People just to name a few.

Otherwise I have bought from 7-Eleven before and again they are everywhere, topping up credit is easy.

Is your phone dual or tri-band?
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S12
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Post at 9-11-2009 09:23  Profile P.M. 
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if your phone is from Japan (DoCoMo) then it's likely TriBand. I believe your phone is required to have 900MHz 1800MHz Band which you need to check if your phone is capable of. Most Japanese branded phones that are used overseas require a HyperSim to allow another carrier to use the phone.

If your phone is capable of all the above, then on arrival at Hong Kong Airport. You can go to the Seven Eleven and pickup a One2Free or "3" Prepaid Sim Card which is $48HKD and just slip it into your cell phone.

That's all =)

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56kicks   9-11-2009 10:45  Acceptance  +1   Favorable
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testlogin
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Post at 9-11-2009 15:34  Profile P.M. 
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Most phones in Japan are CDMA only.  They will get a roaming signal in HK (whether on CDMA or on GSM), but they are not true GSM phones, as you can't insert your own sim card. If you don't care about paying very expensive roaming rates, you have nothing to worry about. Otherwise, buy a cheap GSM phone in HK (you can get one for around 200 HKD... which is about the cost of 10 minutes of roaming airtime).
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NLion
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Post at 9-11-2009 17:18  Profile P.M. 
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If you want a cheap phone you could always try the Mongkok one, entire building full of mobile phones shops
Even cheaper are the imported phones

Click here for Google maps

[ Last edited by  NLion at 9-11-2009 17:19 ]
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asia-play
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Post at 9-11-2009 17:24  Profile P.M. 
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Reply #5 NLion's post

If you are not that adventurous to go to Mongkok, can always go to Fortress to get a new cheap phone for less than HK$300

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NLion   9-11-2009 17:32  Acceptance  +1   :P
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kaka (YaYa PaPaYa)
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Post at 9-11-2009 17:40  Profile P.M. 
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doghead (dog)
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Post at 10-11-2009 00:17  Profile P.M. 
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If you are staying Causeway Bay, I recommend you go to either the Broadway Electronics shop in Times Square (shopping mall) or the Broadway Electronics shop in Hang Lung Centre (causeway bay one).  They are within walking distance of anywhere in Causeway Bay.  This shop will not rip-you off like some of the other smaller shops.  They have a wide range of gsm phones.  There are really cheap basic from LG/Samsung and/or Motorola that go for under HKD300 and they are new, not second hand.  

Also in Times Square are other electronic shops on the same floor as Broadway.  But Broadway has the largest selection.   

Don't go to Mongkok as it can be very confusing for a visitor and is very crowded and is at least a 30mins metro ride from Causeway Bay.  Also you won't save much from the stores I pointed out above.
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testlogin
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Post at 10-11-2009 02:39  Profile P.M. 
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Reply #8 doghead's post

Doghead is right. For a cheap phone, it's not worth it going all the way to Mongkok -- just the MTR fare will probably be about the amount of your "savings." Go to any electronics shop and ask for the cheapest they've got. It should cost about as much as a 45 yr old walkup WG in Mongkok.
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