These forums seem to be pretty quiet as far as iPhone chatter (maybe a good thing considering we’ve being bombarded with the hype most everywhere else - oops sorry!).
I was a bit disappointed that Taiwan wasn’t one of the countries getting the first of the iPhone 3Gs. Anyway, I held out not buying the first generation iPhone but I’m going to pick one of the new 3G models up in the next month or so. I haven’t figured out if I should try and get one in Taiwan (via Japan or HK!?) or pick one up in New Zealand where I am now, at a cost of NT$26,000 for the 16gig without contract). Think I might wait and see. Anyone picked one up yet and using it in TW?
I currently just have a pre-pay with Taiwan Dageda. I have wireless in my home and most cafes I go to have free wireless, so I probably don’t need a data plan. I could probably use WIFLY in other places if I need it. Bugger, where’d their English site go?
Although it’s rumoured to be jailbroken already, the PWNAGE tool (s/ware to unlock) hasn’t yet been released and I’m still unsure if it’ll allow me to drop any SIM in. Anyone know for sure?
If Apple is requiring that buyers activate the phones in store, how can they be sold in Taiwan? I guess they’d have to activate it, cancel the plan for a fee, and sell them at an exorbitant price to make up for the loss.
I’ve seen reports that the in-store activation isn’t necessary, but I wouldn’t presume that means I can buy a 3G with confidence it’ll work fine with a Taiwanese SIM card. I am more hopeful that jailbreaking it will allow me to use my current SIM card.
In many countries you can buy the iPhone without a contract (and therefore no cancelation fee), but from memory the prices run anywhere from NT$17,000 - $28,000. Still worth it IMO… well, if it works.
I too am curious about this. My bro was going to get me the iPhone 3G and send it over, but I decided to wait.
If you need to have a contract with AT&T in order to get one, wouldn’t it mean that even if you were able to crack the iPhone 3G it won’t work here due to the 3G network not being compatible.
The States uses a completely different system.
I don’t want to go through all the trouble to have an iPhone 3G if the 3G services won’t actually work in Taiwan.
Alternatively, I can just wait until my bro upgrades and then take his first gen iPhone. But if I want to have a “cool” phone, I’d rather have one that is 3G and will be functional in Taiwan.
HTC seems a good bet.
I’ve been checking these forums for a while now and finally decided to join as I thought I’d have some info that might be of interest to you guys and I myself am looking for some answers.
There’s been some reports that the iphone 3G will begin selling in Taiwan as early as september. Here are a few links that might be of interest
Although am still a bit sceptical as to whether the iphones will be rolling out here in September, the introduction of the Taiwan’s Itunes music store seems to suggest or validate that the iphone would infact be landing here soon.
check this link :http://forums.macrumors.com/archive/index.php/t-207748.html
Now, there is a guy somewhere in the Shilin night market who was selling the first generation iphone who told me that he’d be getting the iphone 3G today (July 15, 2008). The 8GB and the 16GB will cost approximately 24,400 and 27,400NTD respectively( so he claims). Cnet asia has given their take on “What the iPhone 3G will cost you in Asia”,http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/mobilephones/0,39050603,62043647,00.htm and from my observations seems like there’s not gonna be any difference in price anyways. So you guys think I should go ahead and get the iphone now or wait until September for an official release by CHT, or is this just a no brainer question hahaha.Anyways hope this info was helpful, will certainly be looking forward for some replies.
3G is not the same everywhere in the world as it can include different types of radio access like CDMA2000 EV/DO, W-CDMA (UMTS) and TD-SCDMA (Hello China!) for example. And most of them may come in different frequency bands, too.
It’s somewhat similar to GSM though here you only have to deal with different frequency bands like 850, 900, 1800 and 1900MHz, resulting in triple- or quad-band phones. GSM400 does exist, too, but it’s very rare and thus usually not supported in multi-band phones.
3G is not the same everywhere in the world as it can include different types of radio access like CDMA2000 EV/DO, W-CDMA (UMTS) and TD-SCDMA (Hello China!) for example. And most of them may come in different frequency bands, too.
It’s somewhat similar to GSM though here you only have to deal with different frequency bands like 850, 900, 1800 and 1900MHz, resulting in triple- or quad-band phones. GSM400 does exist, too, but it’s very rare and thus usually not supported in multi-band phones.[/quote]
and then there’s 3.5G, 4G as well as 2G.
and then you get the dual phones which may have UMTS and GSM.
and then you got the big hoopla with QC and Nokia, QC and Broadcom, and QC and everyone else, so you don’t know who’s gonna be around tomorrow that has a product free of legal problems.
and then you got the one ring to bind them all because all those standards are so bloody pesky. :fume:
[quote=“rocky raccoon”]I too am curious about this. My bro was going to get me the iPhone 3G and send it over, but I decided to wait.
If you need to have a contract with AT&T in order to get one, wouldn’t it mean that even if you were able to crack the iPhone 3G it won’t work here due to the 3G network not being compatible.
The States uses a completely different system.
[/quote]
The new iPhone works on both US and European 3G networks so it should probably work in Taiwan as well.
I would think the iPhone would work on all 3G networks as it is sold and roamable worldwide. iPhones are not built to different standards according to country or they would not be usable worldwide. Buy in US, works here. Buy here works in US. Buy anywhere, works anywhere.
Third hand information I know, but my wife tells me her friend has had both models now. She lives in China and has had both the first gen and now second gen and since the first gen came out she has used it everywhere she has been including Taiwan and they have worked fine.
It’s multi-band (850, 1900, 2100 MHz) but only works in W-CDMA (aka UMTS) networks, which is the most common 3G radio access.[/quote]UMTS 850/1900/2100 is good for here, right? A friend of mine wants to get an affordable PDA phone with a hardware keyboard. I suggested a Treo 750 as it’s well made and not too expensive (unlocked ones should be available for much less than the list price now). But I told him I’d check the 3G compatibility.
Taiwan uses 2100 MHz so it will work. For more info about other countries click here.[/quote]Thanks for the link. So the only country with a 3G network where the 3G iPhone and the Treo 750 won’t work is Thailand.
Some countries are not be listed, like China for example. They will launch 3G TD-SCDMA networks first which the 3G iPhone cannot use. Perhaps later they will build some UMTS networks, but who knows.
The 3G iPhone, which rumors say will be officially launched in August there, can only work in GSM/EDGE mode until then.
[quote=“Rascal”]iPhone 3G spotted without contract here in Hong Kong for HKD 12800, that’s NTD 49,839.34[/quote]HK was on the initial rollout list, but that price is ridiculous! Nearly 10 times the supposed “worldwide” contract rate!
Macau & Singapore are on the “Coming Soon” list, but China & Taiwan are nowhere to be seen… Not sure why - Apple’s just giving the bootleggers more time to corner the market w/half-price knockoffs.
Cheapest contract here runs at HKD188 for the iPhone 3G. Haven’t figured out the details yet (I assume that the amount for data traffic will be very limited).
The issue with China is addressed in my post above. No idea why Taiwan isn’t on the list, perhaps they couldn’t agree with Apple on the deal.
