Asia - Are there still cheap electronics in SIN/KUL?

I'm going to be in the area in a couple of weeks (also India), and I'm in the market for a new cell phone and a new notebook computer.

Can I get good prices on good equipment over there? If so, where are the best places to go? What do I need to be on the lookout for?

Finally, can I ship the things back to the U.S. instead of bringing them with?

Yes to all your questions, but shipping stuff back makes it harder to avoid inconvinient Customs inspections and paying taxes/tariffs.

As for where to go, Funan IT Mall (esp. the Challenger superstore on the top floor) is probably the best compromise between price and quality. You'll pay a bit extra for the privilege, but unlike bargain-basement Sim Lim you're unlikely to get ripped off, either through complete fraud (substitution etc) or nickel-and-diming to death ("yes, $1000! it's a deal? great! now 4% tax and 5% for the credit card and the bag costs $100 extra and oh you wanted an international warranty too?")

Better prices, really?

Everytime I've looked, prices seem to be higher across the board in SIN/KUL than in the US for cellphones and notebooks and other digital doodads. In fact, nothing beats the prices you get in the US. As a benchmark, just take a look at comparable Dells priced-out at both the US and SIN sites. If you buy a notebook, you'd want to buy one with retail presence in the US for warranty reasons. Added to that, pay close attention to where the warranties will be honored

Granted though, you can get the latest GSM cellphone models a lot sooner in SIN if that's important to you.

Customs are not so much an issue you can pass these purchases off as items you had when you embarked upon your journey.

A year ago when SE T610 tri-band GSM phones were all the rage, I checked out prices in SIN and KUL. In this particular case, SIN was more expensive than KUL and in turn was more expensive than the US. When you factor in the operator-provided subsidies that come with a 1-yr contract here and the S$ gain vs the US$, prices in the US are hard to beat. As for getting GSM models quicker there, make sure you get one that's tri-band. In recent months, tri-band models have been released globally at the same time (P900 for instance). The US is catching up!

As for Dell, they actually manufacture some of their laptops (Latitudes for sure) in Malaysia for worldwide distribution. But wouldn't you know it, the prices in Malaysia are no different than the US (sometimes even rounded up to the nearest RM99).

There's no harm in shopping though. Sungei Wang Plaza (Monorail Station: Bukit Bintang) is the electronics haven for KUL. Street level is for mobile phones and 4th floor (?) is for computer equipment. Everything in between is for cut-price something or another.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by blueDC:

As for Dell, they actually manufacture some of their laptops (Latitudes for sure) in Malaysia for worldwide distribution. But wouldn't you know it, the prices in Malaysia are no different than the US (sometimes even rounded up to the nearest RM99).
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Dell assembles almost all its notebooks in Penang. Parts etc are priced in US$ in bulk. The deal-killer against buying in SIN/KUL again is that the US is rebate-heaven.

GSM phones might soon be an even trickier buy. Cingular uses 850Mhz in a lot of areas now, I believe other GSM carriers will follow. So soon you have to deal with quad-band issues. (850/900/1800/1900)

Gents,

Just some tips:

For mobile phones do not travel to SIN or KL, the markets there are quite controlled by the mobiles operators and the phone companies. It has improved a little for us consumers over the years but not much.
For phones I would say HKG is good, it has a dedicated parallel import mall in Mongkok (next to Sincere).

For electronics SIN and KL are OK. Keep in mind that SIN now has 5% GST (VAT) and that makes it less transparant. KL is tax free for these kind of items. Ask in your hotel which are the good discounter shops and shop around. Make up your own mind and dont let a shop keeper tell you what is best, most likely he is ripping you of.

Most Asian markets are linked to the dollar, so their price position to the US has not cahnged much. For people from Euroland it is very cheap currently.

I'll wade in and say that SIN (and also HKG, but with a bigger slice of "Caveat Emptor") can be cheap places to buy technology if you know what you are buying.

SIN seems especially good for name-brand notebooks at around 15-25% off the prices you would expect to pay, especially if you want the "bang up to date" version.

Bear in mind that US buyers have to contend with the weakness of the US$ at the moment, which erodes those savings.

Unbranded PCs and components are mostly not worth the hassle, as if you have good knowledge and good contacts in your home country you should be able to get close to the prices offered, without having to smuggle the bits back.

Buying phones for use in the US is tricky, as most of the models you are used to seeing will not be sold in the SIN market. Again, the savings seem to be for either the latest toy, or at the absolute bargain end of the market. Not a good way to buy a mid-range 'phone.

However, if you are into technology, a stroll around the Funan IT mall will have your eyes as wide as saucers by the 3rd floor. Lots of fun technology all in one place http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/smile.gif

Ken.

Ken,

Technology buffs would be much better served at Sim Lim Square. It is quite famous around the region and gives you all you find a Funan anyway.