Apple launches unlocked iPhone 3G in Hong Kong

In an unusual move, Apple Inc. has made unlocked iPhone 3Gs available in Hong Kong, allowing customers to use the mobile phone carrier of their choice.

The legal, Apple-sanctioned and SIM unlocked version of iPhones, which are compatible with any mobile operator, are now on sale in Hong Kong direct from Apple website.

Until now, Hong Kong residents were able to buy iPhone only from Hutchison Telecommunications on a two-year contract, the cheapest package being a staggering $188 a month.

Now, Apple is offering unlocked iPhone 3Gs in Hong Kong, enabling them to pick up whatever GSM service provider they want for their iPhone 3G.

"An iPhone 3G purchased at the Apple Online Store can be activated with any wireless carrier. Simply insert the SIM from your current phone into iPhone 3G and connect to iTunes 8 to complete activation," reads the statement on the Hong Kong Apple Store website.

The 8GB version of “Unlocked iPhone 3Gs” is available at Apple's online store for hefty 695 US dollars (5,400 Hong Kong dollars), while the 16GB iPhone costs about 798 dollars (6,200 HK dollars) in total, according to Apple’s site.

Apple’s latest move goes against its own policy of selling the iPhone 3G. In all the other 22 countries around the world Apple has tied its high-end device exclusively to a single mobile operator in each country or territory.

In its homeland, the 8GB and 16GB iPhones sell through San Antonio, Texas-based AT&T with 2 year contract for $199 and $299 USD, respectively. The unlocked version would likely sell for $599 USD. Softbank Corp. is selling the iPhone in Japan, while Vodafone is the only mobile provider selling the iPhone in New Zealand.

The iPhone 3G device is a follow-up to Apple’s widely popular iPhone device that went on sale last year in the United States and several other countries. Apple describes the brand new, state of the art 3G iPhone, which is supported by AT&T's third-generation mobile broadband network, as twice as fast and half as expensive as the original.

The iPhone 3G is a revolutionary phone with unimaginable features at the users fingertips. Fast 3G, or third-generation, cell phone technology, GPS mapping, features like Microsoft Exchange and App Store. The handset combines the work of three products, namely, a phone, a widescreen iPod and an internet service in one. The phone boasts of enhanced battery life.