Travel Technology - How do I buy a GOOD unlocked Quad-Band Mobile in Hong Kong?

Can anyone give advice on how to buy a GOOD UNLOCKED QUAD-Band Mobile in Hong Kong? I want to be able to use the phone anywhere in the world without linking to a carrier, just buying SIM cards as I go.
I am not interested in a Blackberry,Treo, a fairly basic PHONE with a few extras but nothing excessive.
What are the prices like in Hong Kong compared to N. America?
Can I buy unlocked quads at FORTRESS? Are there any other trustworthy shops in Hong Kong?
Please advise.

are you in the states? Do you want just -a- phone or do you want one of the higher end models?

If you just want a phone, get one on ebay before you go. Ton of them, unlocked, out there.

HK prices won't be really much better than US prices.

HK prices won't be really much better than US prices.

And the OP also has to consider that the shipping costs will be the triple.

www.expansys.com.hk

www.expansys.com.hk

No offense, but that's the wrong answer. Best way to buy a phone from HK is Ebay. I buy just about all my phones there now at present. X1387 and phonesourceusa are two reliable Ebay sellers. In the former case, they ship from Hong Kong and quite a few times now I've had the phone NEXT FREAKIN' DAY. In almost all cases, it's 2 day shipment. VERY reliable and never had an issue with them.

If you're *IN* HK, there's a cellphone mall in Mong Kok. Take the MTR to Mong Kok and take exit D2. I wish I could remember which direction, it's towards the Wang On building IIRC. Chockablock full of mobiles. Shop around though. Bargain and DO NOT buy from the first place you visit. I've purchased phones for $800HKD lower than the first price I encountered simply because I asked around... the gweilo tax is very apparent here.

How did you get through that post without a single snicker, kanebear?

How did you get through that post without a single snicker, kanebear?

I actually had two. Snickers. Mmmmmmm. ;)

If you have a ATT or T-Mobile phone in the US and have had your account in good standing for several months, you should be able to get your carrier to unlock your phone. Check out howardforums for details.

If you have a ATT or T-Mobile phone in the US and have had your account in good standing for several months, you should be able to get your carrier to unlock your phone. Check out howardforums for details.

But make sure that the phone has the correct GSM bands to use at your destination before bothering to unlock it. The US and many countries in the Americas use 850 and/or 1900, while the rest of the GSM world uses 900 and/or 1800. Not all GSM phones sold in the US have all four GSM bands.

If you're *IN* HK, there's a cellphone mall in Mong Kok. Take the MTR to Mong Kok and take exit D2. I wish I could remember which direction, it's towards the Wang On building IIRC. Chockablock full of mobiles. Shop around though. Bargain and DO NOT buy from the first place you visit. I've purchased phones for $800HKD lower than the first price I encountered simply because I asked around... the gweilo tax is very apparent here.

Mong Kok is definitely the place to shop for all tech stuff. The cell phone street is just on the other side of Nathan from the subway.

However if you are already in HKG and have the time, the visa and a sense of adventure, you can take the train up to Shenzen, cross the border and get much better prices on most everything.

No offense, but that's the wrong answer.

:rolleyes:

No offence, but it's the right answer.
It just happens to be one of several right answers.

:rolleyes:

No offence, but it's the right answer.
It just happens to be one of several right answers.

None taken, when's the last time you ordered from Expansys??? Prices are higher and delivery is spotty at best. If you've had good experiences with them you've been very lucky... I was a very loyal customer of both they and mobile planet. About the time they bought out mobileplanet their service went in the toilet.

:rolleyes:

No offence, but it's the right answer.
It just happens to be one of several right answers.

I'm not sure "Expansys" is a right answer for someone wanting to buy a phone IN Hong Kong. It's like saying Amazon is great for buying Books if you are visiting the US, or that Ebay is great for finding a cheap bike when in the UK.

If you are IN Hong Kong there are 1000's of better options than Expansys, who don't have a retail presence in Hong Kong.

Thanks for the inputs so far - I really must be more specific when I post questions. OK - I want to buy an unlocked phone IN HONG KONG - I go there frequently on my way to SHENZHEN. I will buy cards for it, whereever I go and will not tie up to a provider anywhere, including Canada. I am Canadian so the US part is not so relevant. When I am in Asia, my rule is NOT to buy any electronics in SHENZHEN - most of the stuff in China is not just cheap in price - it is cheap in construction and a knock-off often just does not work. I bought two MP3 players there once and they were complete duds when I got home - I actually returned them to the dealer, amazingly enough. Also, I bought what looked like a genuine Sandisk CD Card for my camera in Shenzhen and it only held 5 pix! So, I never buy electronics in Shenzhen but I do buy in Hong Kong. I have bought several cameras in HK over the past few years with no problems.
In HK I shop at FORTRESS or some of the better stores on the Nathan Road - which stores in Mong Kok are trustworthy?
Can anyone identify a good name brand phone model such as Moto or Ericcson?
BTW, the cost for 400 minutes in HK is substantially cheaper than even 100 minutes here in Canada. It appears that HK has more competition - Canada only has a few providers at present.

I have bought a few phones in HK. Typically, I find you can actually get very good prices in the airport itself. There are two retailers- the one with the "yellow sign" (sorry can't remember the name- they are related to a mobile carrier of HK) before security is quite good in my opinion. I personally prefer Nokia, and you may be happy with a model like the 6270 which is quite inexpensive and has very good battery life. It works on all the networks as far as I know. The price can be cheaper compared to the EU by about 25%. The only issue you may run into is that the phone only has English and Chinese languages on it- if you want other languages that may be a consideration for the sms dictionaries.

The airport is more costly but the phones are 'official' and have int'l warranty I believe. Buying in Mong Kok one is getting 'water goods' (greymarket imports). Nothing wrong with 'em, but you only get warranty through the specific dealer you bought from!

Fortress and other stores are pricier as they sell official HK goods. If you're in Canada, you can't make use of that warranty anyway, so just buy the water goods.

Definitely avoid any dealers on Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui... they're all a waste of time. Fortress is absolutely a great place to go for cameras and such as is Broadway.

I refreshed my memory on how to get there. It's called Sin Tat Arcade/Mall.
Exit the MTR at Exit "Argyle Street"... Stay on the left hand side at the exit... cross 2 Blocks and then you will see the highrise at the lefthand side... I believe it's near the corner of Tung Shoi street
If you encounter a Sunday Telecom (GSM carrier in HK) shop youre 20-30 feet too far. You'll see an entrance with glass double doors and a ton of lighted counters with phones as far as the eye can see.

If you can speak chinese it is better. If not... go look at and talk to EVERY shop for pricing. I've bought many phones there and haven't ever had a problem with any of them... still, go on your instincts. If something seems wrong, it likely is. Walk away. Also, note that some of the no-name chinese phones are the same as you'll see in Shenzhen. The really cool ones are all dual-band and won't work over here (e.g. the ones with TV tuners and other goofy functions you don't see as the norm). :( Otherwise, the seller will open the box before you buy and let you try the phone with a test SIM... test all functions, make a call, make sure it works. I have an HK sim card I use for this... it's worth the few $$$ to buy a prepaid card for testing.

If you can speak chinese it is better.

You mean Guang Dong Hua, of course. Right? Mandarin won't work quite as well in Mong Kok. Otherwise great advice! ^

I've also bought at the phone center at Mong Kok (sp).

You mean Guang Dong Hua, of course. Right? Mandarin won't work quite as well in Mong Kok. Otherwise great advice! ^

Do wha'? ;) I don't speak either, I just hang on by the English translation/transliteration!