[LAGuy]

I am planning to visit HK for a week, and I am just wondering if there is any good place to rent a cell phone for just one week.

Airport? Or somewhere close to Central? Hotel?

How about the price? Deposit? Charge per day?

Can anyone here direct me to a web site for more info?


Another Q:
What is the best way to call back US while I am in HK?
Calling card?
Where and which company's card is good to buy?

Thanks a lot in adavance.

[tsuiwah]

You may find it easier and cheaper to buy an unlocked GSM phone on eBay.

Then once you get here, you can buy a prepaid SIM card.

If you have friends locally in HKG, they can pick up a SIM card for you for about HK$100

[AnotherAmerican]

You have 3 choices:

a) do as tsuiwah suggests and buy an unlocked phone.

b) just buy a phone here. I've seen a place in Chung King Mansions that sells phones for as low as 250 HKD (around 35 USD), which I'd bet is lower than the total for a week-rental would be (at 35 USD, you're only paying 5 a day).

c) wait for someone to direct you to a place that rents.

as for calling the states:

By far the cheapest way to do it is through IDD calling. I bought a phone card once, and for 50 HKD, I got about 30 minutes. But with an IDD SIM card (my service is SmarTone, though I know there are others), I bought a 100 HKD prepaid SIM card, and if I dial 1653 before calling the US, I pay .50 HKD/minute. So far, after about 100 minutes of calling home, I still have around 40 HKD left on the card.

[lost in transla]

Another option ...........bring your current mobile to a phone shop, one thats capable of unlocking from your current network . This will enable you to use the network you are on now plus any other network WW . Once you get to HK buy a pay-as-you-go SIM card , any of the small phone shops sell them , of which there are many . They coast about HK$100 and include credit , they can also be IDD or just local HK.
Anyway thats what I did with mine and it worked. Saves buying a second phone and u will alsways have ur HK # once it is in credit.

Orrrrrrrrr ........many of the hotels in HK will rent you a phone + number for a short period .

[KnowItAll]

PCCW and 3 have shops at the Airport.

I think one of them does rentals.

http://www.hongkongairport.com/eng/s...g_telecom.html

IF you bring your current mobile, make sure its a tri or quad band mobile. If it belongs to T-mobile, I know for a fact that you can call their customer service and they'll give you the unlock code if you've been with them for over 3 or 6 months and you tell them you're going overseas.

I'd buy from Amazon.com's unlocked phone section before buying from ebay ..

[krypton]

Cingular gives the unlock code as well. They cannot deny this code as a matter of policy.

[xiaoma2]

have a look
http://roam.hkcsl.com/eng/rent/rent.htm

home page is http://1010.hkcsl.com/jsp/per_servic...p?language=eng
see the 'Visitors to HK' at the top.

[AnotherAmerican]

LIT,

I think that is illegal

Maybe I'm wrong, though. It would be a killer business to subscribe to loads of services in the states that provide a free (locked) phone with the subscription, come to hk, unlock them, and cancel your subscription.

[krypton]

If you cancel your subscription they will still charge you (works like the contracts here in HK). For example my Cingular phone was on a 1 year subscription contract.

[lost in transla]

If you are with your carrier for a good while .....6months or more ....they don't have an issue ...at least where I'm from .....not sure what the situation is in the states .