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It's happened. Iphones are now luxury perks

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It's happened. Iphones are now luxury perks

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Old Dec 10, 2010, 9:34 am
  #1  
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It's happened. Iphones are now luxury perks

The Langham Place Mong Kok now includes a loaner iPhone with an HK SIM on an Essential Place Plus booking. See...

http://enews.langhamhotels.com/LPH/d...index_eng.html
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Old Dec 10, 2010, 9:43 am
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pretty cool. assume it will spread like wildfire, like ipads. certainly great for apple. wonder if they were involved.. they should be, but then i wonder why they dont do things like microsoft surface. although they are now licensing their iphone point of sale systems.

OTOH, how would it compare to mobile VOIP at pen etc?
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Old Dec 10, 2010, 11:10 am
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Its a great idea since they will probably have the guest sign off saying they will be responsible for any damage to the phone, etc.

But I'm still happy going to 7-eleven and picking up a sim card for much less i'm assuming.
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Old Dec 10, 2010, 4:41 pm
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It's HKD 500 per day for that iphone -- pretty sweet deal for Langham! The same room and other benefits cost HKD 1500 vs HKD 2000 with the "Plus" (which seems to be only the iphone+sim). Interesting, esp. as only a few hundred more gets a suite+club access, which would seem to be much more valuable.
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Old Dec 10, 2010, 4:46 pm
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The question is does this include 3G data access? HK$500 per day is nothing compared to what an internet junkie could run up while roaming. And there are a lot of people out there who aren't technically adept at switching out SIM's and unlocking iPhones.
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Old Dec 10, 2010, 5:35 pm
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I don't think mobile data is expensive in HK, it's really cheap to get mobile calls and data there compared to most other places if you put in a HK sim.

The Park Hyatt Tokyo and the Peninsula Tokyo have been loaning voice mobiles to guests for free (you pay for usage, but they don't rip you off on that) for quite some time.
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Old Dec 10, 2010, 7:12 pm
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Originally Posted by RichardInSF
I don't think mobile data is expensive in HK, it's really cheap to get mobile calls and data there compared to most other places if you put in a HK sim.
I said roaming above. And it is VERY expensive. As for getting a local SIM, you have to have an unlocked phone which isn't easy for everyone. Also, which HK operator will sell you a data package for a week?

The Park Hyatt Tokyo and the Peninsula Tokyo have been loaning voice mobiles to guests for free (you pay for usage, but they don't rip you off on that) for quite some time.
The Westin Chosun in Seoul did this back in the late 90's. And I recall the old Park Hyatt Buenos Aires providing cell phones back in 1996.
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Old Dec 10, 2010, 10:38 pm
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Originally Posted by stimpy
I said roaming above. And it is VERY expensive. As for getting a local SIM, you have to have an unlocked phone which isn't easy for everyone. Also, which HK operator will sell you a data package for a week?
I haven't checked this out since I haven't needed it -- but I bet in HK there will be something suitable available from one or more of the local operators. They are VERY competitive. I found that the phone store near the 7-11 has the best selection of prepaid Sims at the airport.

You're right about getting an unlocked iPhone, although as we know, legit unlocked ones are for sale all over HK (probably by now, an iPhone 4 won't be that hard to get at list, although maybe there is still heavy mainland demand).

People's (China Mobile) appears to have an unlimited 7 data plan for HK$38 although you have to buy a HK$139 card to use it, which is still not bad. However, it likely is just limited to relatively slow GPRS.

Last edited by RichardInSF; Dec 10, 2010 at 10:48 pm
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Old Dec 12, 2010, 8:48 am
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Excerpts from an interesting blog post:

http://blog.luxuryinstitute.com/?p=717

"Pedraza certainly thinks so. He says that Apple and Sony are emerging as the newest luxury designer labels.

“With Apple, you get a better design, a better function and a better luxury experience than you do with most other luxury brands,” he says.

Pedraza recently asked the CEO of a giant European luxury apparel brand to name the company that he viewed as his toughest competitor. Without batting an eye, the CEO, whose company Pedraza won’t name due to client confidentiality, said it was Apple".
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Old Dec 12, 2010, 11:30 am
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bummer to hear pen charges for use.

apple is indeed style over substance in terms of iphone/ipad. i love OSX, but dont do apple gadgets, because they dont run OSX.

sony doesnt really release much good stuff outside japan. only some more recently.
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Old Jan 28, 2011, 1:35 pm
  #11  
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Now the Lanesborough has raised the bar. Mac Mini's in the rooms.

http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/20...eir_Guestrooms
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