iPhone 3G Bangkok Update: Winner’s The Winner

Just a short iPhone 3G update concerning Bangkok & Thailand. All right, I hear you. By now, you say, everybody has an iPhone and there’s the promising Blackberry Storm to arrive and the Nokia N97. But then again, no other phone offers the possibilities, functionalities and the platform as does the iPhone. Period.

And as you may know as well, there’s still no proper unlock for the 3G iPhones. Except if you buy a factory-unlocked one. They were hard to get. Now Winner Telecom on the 4th floor of Maboonkrong MBK has them. The Hong Kong version. Just did a beautifully simple upgrade from firmware 2.1 to 2.2.

The first Hong Kong iPhone 3G @ 16GB they had sold for 59,000 baht. Now they go for less than 30,000 baht. Just be nice to the beautiful girl at the counter – yes, even her English is perfect. I’d say, that’s a sure go if you hesitated so far … with the phone.

By the way, Winner gets the first batch of Blackberry Storms. They’re not sure yet about the unlock, but the guys at Winner conquered every phone so far. And yes, the even got the Google G1 in stock with Google’s Android mobile operating system. Unlocked. For some 20,000 baht ++.

If in the market for an iPhone 3G, you could still though wait for the official Thai release over at True. Just called them up, they have no clue when the phone will arrive. And it seems like a safe bet that True’s iPhone will be more expensive than Winner’s. Ok, True offers proper warranty and support.

As does Winner.




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December 16, 2008 | Filed Under Gadgets & Technology, Money & Shopping 

Comments

14 Responses to “iPhone 3G Bangkok Update: Winner’s The Winner”

  1. wisekwai on December 16th, 2008 6.04 pm

    I am long overdue for a phone upgrade.

    Simply, I want a kick-ass phone that will do everything.

    The iPhone is touted as such, but I fear problems down the road, even with a factory-unlocked one. I don’t want to end up with a brick.

    And I’m not really keen to switch to True and have to get a new phone number.

    The G1 interests me, but then I wonder if I should wait for the N97.

  2. number&number on December 17th, 2008 3.20 am

    What a boring topic for phone luddites, though we did see a $99 “I” phone 4GB 3G (GEE!!!) at Walmart, kinda takes the wind out of the poser’s sails …

    http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/2008/12/08/apple-iphone-3g-for-99-at-walmart/

  3. Santi on December 19th, 2008 12.19 am

    It’s not confirmed that the iPhone will sell at Walmart for $99.

    It would cannibalize their sales of iPods.

    http://blogs.wsj.com/biztech/2008/12/11/the-iphone-may-come-to-wal-mart-but-likely-not-for-99/

  4. john on December 20th, 2008 8.58 pm

    They sell the copy phones in Laos just over the border from Nong Khai very cheap, about 4,000 baht.

    Same same Nokia 3G, no warranty, but for that price who cares. I think they’re called Nokla.

    Maybe they have the iPhone as well.

  5. JJ on December 21st, 2008 12.02 am

    Boring topic yes, but let’s not forget, while Nokia, Palm (outch!), Blackberry and such built already thousands of phones, Apple managed to basically top the smartphone market with one single phone. You may be a contrarian, but there’s no denial, filled with sensors and bright ideas, that iPhone is a smasher. Or why does basically every schoolboy and schoolgirl in Bangkok have an iPhone by now? Discernement and taste, stupid.

  6. whoopla on December 21st, 2008 3.55 am

    As a skeptic who sees too many copycat-brainwashed-behavioral traits bestowed on the Thai “educated” middle class children who can afford an “I”phone, I wouldn’t attribute “discernment and taste” as comendable talents pertaining to this group, no matter how stupid I was. Sorry Dan, your I phone is still a posers prop, if only because it gives you permission to feel superior. Do the math.

  7. BangkokDan on December 21st, 2008 8.22 am

    No worries whoopla, love the “I”phone! And maybe the discernment side blow was intended somewhat sarcastically …

    Doing the math forced me to finally break down, as this phone is, simple put, the best mobile computing platform on the market.

    I went through the rest – but Windows Mobile? Njet. A Nokia again? They’re still not ready yet, and with the old E61 I had to use three different browsers (Opera, Opera Mini, built in) just to read basic webpages on the go.

    Now? Am fully mobile. Just to mention the other benefits of these amazing apps – yes, I only download free ones.

    A no-brainer if do the math.

    BangkokDan

  8. Andy on December 25th, 2008 6.58 pm

    You can pre-register the iPhone via TRUE here:

    http://www.truemove.com/iphone/tha/index.htm

    Check out the price plan here:

    http://www.macdd.com/macddv3/index.php/all-news-update/35-news-update/470-Apple-OSX.html

    If anyone can translate the highlights, or has further info, please advise.

    Just need a new phone, so might as well go for this new iPhone with 3G.

    3G is expected to cover Thailand by mid-‘09? Will it be everywhere in Thailand? Any idea?

  9. BangkokDan on December 25th, 2008 7.21 pm

    Thanks Andy, good find.

    Here’s an English version of TRUE’s data plans and contracts.

    With the basic plan it looks like you get a “good” price for a 16GB @ 10,499 baht, but you have to sign up for a two year contract. And you’ll get a TRUE-locked device. So not possible to use the device abroad with another SIM card – if you want to avoid exorbitant roaming fees.

    And you’d probably have to go for the most expensive data plan with unlimited data transfer – setting you back 2,099 baht/month = 50,376 baht for two years.

    Winner’s gray Hong Kong iPhone may still be a better deal, as you get a truly unlocked device. And unlimited data with AIS for instance is 999 baht/month. It’s EDGE, but speed is not too shabby @ roughly 150 kbps.

    As far as 3G coverage in Thailand goes, they announce it since years and made some basic inroads. I wouldn’t hold my breath that 3G is ready anytime soon.

    BangkokDan

  10. Andy on December 28th, 2008 1.30 pm

    Thanks for the update.

    Maybe a solution for above mentioned costs/points:

    - Abroad bring a second low-cost phone along and get a prepaid local number for your stay and let your main number send you an SMS if you receive a call.

    - Take the 8GB and a lower package, that’ll do for most I guess.

    - TRUE also uses GPRS/EDGE by the way.

    Depends on each person’s preferences I guess.

    Guess I will go for TRUE’s offer, as I need a phone right now (old one got stolen)!

    Cheers mate

  11. whoopla on December 30th, 2008 4.40 pm

    The “I”phone is worth a fart after all: New apps for the sophisticated phone posers can now add “odor” to their poise …

    http://timesonline.typepad.com/technology/2008/12/sweet-smell-of.html

  12. BangkokDan on December 30th, 2008 4.56 pm

    Saw that one whoopla, read it in a state of puzzled shame and hoped nobody else would see it.

    There are 18 fart related apps in the iPhone App Store, but Apple ejects iBoobs?!




    BangkokDan

  13. whoopla on December 30th, 2008 5.33 pm

    Putting the bounce back in sales: Thanks Dan, probably the best application for the “I”phone’s motion sensing technology I have yet witnessed, though, as you mention, it’s not available. BooB Hoo!

  14. stefan on January 11th, 2009 10.19 pm

    Speaking in tongues on iPhone: a polyglot’s take on languages on iPhone:

    http://stujay.blogspot.com/2009/01/those-iphone-developers-might-be.html

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