[MotoHK]

Decided to go tri band.

Best SIM Card to get?

Heard it is Vodafone? What is the Vodafone “HK Visitor” SIM versus there other “local” SIMs?

Went to Mong Kok today.

Any opinion on Citicall as a reputable place to purchase a phone?
I walked around and got price quotes varying by +/- 30% on identical products. 2 charger, 1 charger, retailers bad mouthing competitors, the old sale ends today pressure by one, etc.

[cerberus]

you can get better deals in mong kok on argyle there, but as you said it's a bit of a dance show, while going directly to service providers is more clearcut, albeit slightly pricier.

i'm with smartone-vodafone and they're really good, nice service, simple plans, no contract for many of them, and a reasonable selection of phones.

the paygo service, which doesn't require a HKID and address , is pretty good. 100 bucks at 0.15 a minute lasts OK, and you get excellent reception like most other providers.

the plans are cheaper, starting at 80 dollars/month or so, plus you get voice mail and other perks.

i'd definitely recommend smartone.

[MotoHK]

So with a SIM card it is not possible to get voice mail?

[MotoHK]

Hi one more question if you dont mind. You are very helpful!

I am thinking about a particular model phone. Should I make sure it is also marketed in the US so I be able to buy the proper charger? Seems like otherwise I wont be able to use the phone in HK and the US. Am looking at a Sony-Ericcson but do not see the phone on the Candadian and US websites only HK. Will that be a problem????

For my laptop I just replaced the cord due to the dual voltage. I dont think phone adaptors work like that.

[barbara30]

I had to replace my old 3g phone and picked a tri -band motorola that has email and internet. We have just finished our contract with 3G and want to go with another service provider so we can actually use the internet etc as we have been unable to do so because we had a 3G contract but no longer had a 3G phone.

Is it easy to get a smartone contract even though we already have a phone?
where is the best place to sort this out from Tung Chung?

Thanks

[MotoHK]

I'm not sure about the Internet with a Smartone SIM. Waiting for Cerebus to respond on voice mail myself and I would venture 2 say if I can get vmail you can get Internet.

Smartone Vodafine has a website. They have at least 3 stores in Mong Kok withing a 2 block radius! The key is to make sure you phone is unlocked and if so just pop in the card you buy. Your number will change but you can maintain the new number by replenishing within 6 months.

As soon as I find out about the voltage I'm getting a phone.

Add'l Q for Cerebus, I have a late 1990's model spare US only Nokia charger. Will that work if I purhcase a Nokia instead of Sony-Erricson?

Also, is Citicall a legit chain? Have read it is. Got one price at Citicall. Walked down the street and got quoted for higher prices on the same model for 2 phones I am considering. Called the salesperson to the carpet and told them lower down the street, then he reverts to a lower cash price than the first. Is this normal???

[PDLM]

Most modern phones either come with a charger which is 110-220V capable or you can very easily buy an additional 110-220V charger here in HK for just a few dollars.

[survivorbee]

Please make sure thats tri-band phone even you dont see the phone on Canadian and the states websites. I have experienced to get a cellphone in Hong Kong and I was using in Canada. Phone adaptors hmm...I dont have to get a dual voltage...Going to Sham Shui Po to get the plug thats for US and Canada....

I am using Canadian Sony Vaio desktop , of course I have a dual voltage..It is pretty cool

Originally Posted by MotoHK

Hi one more question if you dont mind. You are very helpful!

I am thinking about a particular model phone. Should I make sure it is also marketed in the US so I be able to buy the proper charger? Seems like otherwise I wont be able to use the phone in HK and the US. Am looking at a Sony-Ericcson but do not see the phone on the Candadian and US websites only HK. Will that be a problem????

For my laptop I just replaced the cord due to the dual voltage. I dont think phone adaptors work like that.

[cerberus]

hey moto, smartone paygo doesn't offer voicemail to my knowledge, but check as availability varies and they may have included/added it. ditto for internet. paygo prepaid services are barebones, meant to get people talking fast, not fancy. for that you need a contract, which is also pretty simple and easy.

chargers, i've found, are not a problem. bought a universal one (doesn't say which phones it's for) in Mong Kok, cost me 50 bucks. so chargers aren't a big deal.

they also haven't changed much over time (chargers i mean) so maybe that late 90's one will still work, but don't plug it to the wall in HK unless the fire house is right next door. get a new charger: they're not expensive.

i've been back and forth a lot, and as long as you have an unlocked SIM phone, there's no problem, you can use it in Asia due to the prevelance of GSM.

citicall's a legit store, never shopped there per se but they're quite strong in the market i think. my advice is go directly to the service providers, that's the safest route in every respect: i don't want to bore you with horror stories from buying a phone/contract at a Best Buy only to discover the provider didn't acknowledge the deal.
playing price duel is OK if you like that sort of thing, just head over to a SP and it'll be easier (but slightly more expensive, granted).

phones from HK in the US: well, who sells only SIM's over there? none of the providers and major chains. you'd need one of those local electronics places. so in essence, buying a SIM phone here will be a problem when moving to the US again. i always end up getting a new phone there, which is costly. if you're visiting there, then Smartone and other carriers have roaming plans, not sure about pricing.

you can start with paygo and then move to a contract and keep the same number, too. i really suggest paygo at first to get used to things, then once you have a HKID/address, contract. providers give you member prices on phones that are 50 percent off the "MSRP" and comparable to Mong Kok prices, but you then have to keep the service for a year, or pay the difference on the phone. Unlike US SP's, they don't care where your phone comes from, smartone and others just sell the SIM and service, not necessarily hardware, so you're free to buy that anywhere.

you can get an additional contract: smartone never asked if i had another provider. this is only an issue if you want to use an existing number from another provider.

barbara: i think they have a location in that Citygate mall in Tung Chung, you know, next to the MTR.

[discobay]

As far as I know payg sim card a/cs do not offer any form of internet access.