Can an iPad purchased in Canada work in Hong Kong using data SIM card?

[bizee-bee]

I do not own an iPad, and my knowledge of them is very basic (almost nil).

I would like to buy an iPad here in Canada, and give it as a gift to elderly folks in Hong Kong. These seniors do not have wifi internet at their home. However, they have told me that their fellow elderly friends have iPads (purchased in Hong Kong) working off some type of data plan, using a data SIM card that was purchased on a monthly basis.

Does anyone have experience with purchasing iPads in Canada, such that they can work in Hong Kong after popping in a data SIM card?

And if so, which iPad is required? i.e. Will the simple "iPad wifi" do, or would I need to buy the "iPad wifi + Cellular" version?

Thanks in advance for any helpful responses!

[joepoonie]

I do not own an iPad, and my knowledge of them is very basic (almost nil).

I would like to buy an iPad here in Canada, and give it as a gift to elderly folks in Hong Kong. These seniors do not have wifi internet at their home. However, they have told me that their fellow elderly friends have iPads (purchased in Hong Kong) working off some type of data plan, using a data SIM card that was purchased on a monthly basis.

Does anyone have experience with purchasing iPads in Canada, such that they can work in Hong Kong after popping in a data SIM card?

And if so, which iPad is required? i.e. Will the simple "iPad wifi" do, or would I need to buy the "iPad wifi + Cellular" version?

Thanks in advance for any helpful responses!

Hello. You will need to purchase an iPad with the Cellular option. Almost every Cellular provider in Hong Kong has either a monthly plan for data only SIM or a pre-paid plan. Once the SIM is popped in, it should definitely work.

[bizee-bee]

Hello. You will need to purchase an iPad with the Cellular option. Almost every Cellular provider in Hong Kong has either a monthly plan for data only SIM or a pre-paid plan. Once the SIM is popped in, it should definitely work.

Thanks Joe. I must sound like a real "hick" when it comes to the iPad and its technologies, but when you have never owned one, it's not easy to figure out just what is needed. I tried searching RFD as well as Google-world, but I never saw any 'direct' answers. When I went to a Staples store to ask their 'experts', they had no idea how to answer me. :o

Can I ask you if you have personal experience with this (purchase an iPad 3 in Canada, and popping in a data SIM in Hong Kong)? Or you are basing your response on general knowledge?

Thanks again.

[joepoonie]

Thanks Joe. I must sound like a real "hick" when it comes to the iPad and its technologies, but when you have never owned one, it's not easy to figure out just what is needed. I tried searching RFD as well as Google-world, but I never saw any 'direct' answers. When I went to a Staples store to ask their 'experts', they had no idea how to answer me. :o

Can I ask you if you have personal experience with this (purchase an iPad 3 in Canada, and popping in a data SIM in Hong Kong)? Or you are basing your response on general knowledge?

Thanks again.

I've travelled back home extensively in the past few years -> I've always gone to the cell company stores and purchased sim cards (first for cell phones, then for the iPhone and iPad).

I don't see any reason why an iPad wouldn't work with a sim card in Hong Kong, as long as the sim card has the appropriate data plan on it.

[bizee-bee]

I've travelled back home extensively in the past few years -> I've always gone to the cell company stores and purchased sim cards (first for cell phones, then for the iPhone and iPad).

I don't see any reason why an iPad wouldn't work with a sim card in Hong Kong, as long as the sim card has the appropriate data plan on it.

Thanks again for your response and info.

I guess my biggest questions were regarding the hardware...and you've answered it with the need to purchase the "wifi + cellular" version of the iPad, in order to get the capability to pop in the SIM card.

Can you recommend one or more cell company stores to purchase monthly use SIM cards? I will be mainly in Central/Wan Chai/Causeway Bay areas (HK Island), but will roam to the mainland (Kowloon) every so often.

Appreciate your info.

[joepoonie]

Thanks again for your response and info.

I guess my biggest questions were regarding the hardware...and you've answered it with the need to purchase the "wifi + cellular" version of the iPad, in order to get the capability to pop in the SIM card.

Can you recommend one or more cell company stores to purchase monthly use SIM cards? I will be mainly in Central/Wan Chai/Causeway Bay areas (HK Island), but will roam to the mainland (Kowloon) every so often.

Appreciate your info.

There are multiple players in the market -> four are 3, Smartone, CSL and PCCW. Personally, I use the SIM from 3. They have a sim that has unlimited data for $28 HKD a day, $78 HKD a week and I believe $268 HKD a month. It works everywhere in Hong Kong (both Island and Kowloon). The only thing you have to worry about is if you're going to mainland China or Macau -> roaming would apply.

[Mulder and Scully]

Buying an iPad in Hong Kong would cost less because there's no sales tax there. You would save the 13% HST that you have to pay in Ontario.

[wilsonlam97]

Yes. HK uses 2100mhz HSPA I believe. An iPad + Cellular would work fine.

[bizee-bee]

There are multiple players in the market -> four are 3, Smartone, CSL and PCCW. Personally, I use the SIM from 3. They have a sim that has unlimited data for $28 HKD a day, $78 HKD a week and I believe $268 HKD a month. It works everywhere in Hong Kong (both Island and Kowloon). The only thing you have to worry about is if you're going to mainland China or Macau -> roaming would apply.

Great info, Joe!

I've done my own digging now, thanks to your 'nudgings'.

"3 (Three) - www.three.com.hk " actually offers:
- daily unlimited data card for HKG$18/day (~ CAD$2.25/day)
- monthly unlimited data HKD$168/month (~ CAD$21.00/month)
That is insanely affordable!

One of the footnotes says "2. includes unlimited access to all Three Wi-Fi Hot Spot".
A nice feature, to get additional WiFi when you're not near a free WiFi hotspot (but why would you need to use WiFi with an unlimited data plan??)

Anyway from my experience, even though there are many free sources, it's not THAT easy to stay connected. I've made my own Google Map of the Government of HKG's free WiFi hotspots in most of the areas I visit while I am on HKG Island (yeah, it was a slow afternoon). A bit of an adventure to get to some of them, at times. ;) Let me know if you would like to see this map...it's private right now, but I can spend another afternoon to make it 'public'.

Thanks again for all your advice/info!

[bizee-bee]

Buying an iPad in Hong Kong would cost less because there's no sales tax there. You would save the 13% HST that you have to pay in Ontario.


Yes. HK uses 2100mhz HSPA I believe. An iPad + Cellular would work fine.

Mulder & S - as for purchasing in HKG, you are right...the 16GB WiFi+Cellular model is listing at HKG$4888 (~ CAD$611). Compare this to any vendor in Ontario at $734 (after tax).

I was hoping to get "lucky" :cheesygri and stack some Staples coupons to lower the price of the iPad. I am currently sitting on an un-submitted Staples cart order with $95 of stacked coupons, which would lower the $649 16GB WiFi+Celllular model down to $627 after tax, which is getting close to the HKG sale price (~ CAD$611).

Yes, it's still about $16 more than buying in HKG, but then I could have the device in my hands and pre-load it with apps, pictures, movies, etc., before I hand it over to my gift-recipients...they are elderly and would not be able to do this easily on their own.

Wilson, thanks also for chiming in...reconfirms that if I do buy the iPad from Canada (using the Staples "trick"), it will work in HKG. :cheesygri

[Mulder and Scully]

Mulder & S - as for purchasing in HKG, you are right...the 16GB WiFi+Cellular model is listing at HKG$4888 (~ CAD$611). Compare this to any vendor in Ontario at $734 (after tax).

I was hoping to get "lucky" :cheesygri and stack some Staples coupons to lower the price of the iPad. I am currently sitting on an un-submitted Staples cart order with $95 of stacked coupons, which would lower the $649 16GB WiFi+Celllular model down to $627 after tax, which is getting close to the HKG sale price (~ CAD$611).

Yes, it's still about $16 more than buying in HKG, but then I could have the device in my hands and pre-load it with apps, pictures, movies, etc., before I hand it over to my gift-recipients...they are elderly and would not be able to do this easily on their own.


I forgot to add that I have no idea if iPads are consistently sold out or not in Hong Kong. It's still randomly difficult to get an iPhone in Hong Kong but with iPads I have no idea.

If you load up apps to the iPad on your home computer and then give it to your elderly friends in Hong Kong, that iPad will be associated with your home computer and/or whatever Apple ID account you used when you first set up the iPad. Yea they can de-associate it but they'll still have to have their own email and Apple ID accounts.

[Magoomba]

Great info, Joe!

I've done my own digging now, thanks to your 'nudgings'.

"3 (Three) - www.three.com.hk " actually offers:
- daily unlimited data card for HKG$18/day (~ CAD$2.25/day)
- monthly unlimited data HKD$168/month (~ CAD$21.00/month)
That is insanely affordable!


That's pretty crazy since we pay like $30 for a few gigs.

[xalex0]

That's pretty crazy since we pay like $30 for a few gigs.Not even slightly surprising when considering the coverage area and population density.

[joepoonie]

That's pretty crazy since we pay like $30 for a few gigs.

I believe though that there is a "limit" before they will throttle your speed. I believe it's at either 2 or 3 GBs.

[bizee-bee]

I forgot to add that I have no idea if iPads are consistently sold out or not in Hong Kong. It's still randomly difficult to get an iPhone in Hong Kong but with iPads I have no idea.
You are correct...I've just dialog'd with some friends in HKG and they said that it may be difficult to actually get my hands on an iPad 3, but they will check for me tomorrow. So, yeah, if I can get the iPad here in Canada at a 'discounted' price, I'll jump on it.


If you load up apps to the iPad on your home computer and then give it to your elderly friends in Hong Kong, that iPad will be associated with your home computer and/or whatever Apple ID account you used when you first set up the iPad. Yea they can de-associate it but they'll still have to have their own email and Apple ID accounts.
Good points and I will have to keep this in mind, thanks.

[bizee-bee]

I believe though that there is a "limit" before they will throttle your speed. I believe it's at either 2 or 3 GBs.
My friends in HKG also mentioned the same thing. That though you get "unlimited" data for the month, they will enforce throttling when you've reached 2 or 3 GBs downloaded for the month. I didn't quite believe them, but now that you mentioned it as well, I'm less of a skeptic now. :o