Unlocked iPhone 3G available for direct shipment from Hong Kong, no catch at all

Man, waiting in line for the iPhone 3G can be a royal pain, right? Wouldn't it be nice if you could just circumvent the whole boring, sheep-like process and have one delivered to your doorstep? Well thanks to Alibaba.com and the weird and wacky copyright laws of Hong Kong, now you can! According to the wholesale goods supply site, you can just order up the "original" Apple device direct from a company called Union Camera and have them sent to whatever poorly lit dock, abandoned warehouse, or suburban safe-house you desire. The best part? They're network unlocked. You know, something seems wrong about this, but we just can't put our finger on it...

Update: As some commenters point out, it seems to be $1000 minimum order as opposed to 1000 pieces. Guess we'll just have to start the process and find out.

[Via PMP Today]

[zamboni @ Jul 17th 2008 8:38AM]

I had my credit card out, ready to order it but then noticed that the minimum quantity was 1000.


I only need 850 of them. I'll keep looking.

[bohsocks @ Jul 17th 2008 8:45AM]

...Now to find 999 people who want to in on an order with me

[bohsocks @ Jul 17th 2008 8:54AM]

Hey wait it says 1000USD, not 1000 unit minimum order.... I'm embarrassed.....

And also I wouldn't trust buying from this website... forget it being a shady Chinese website dealer, that silver thing next to the word "Offline" indicates that this website'll give you crabs, I think.... either that or it's a dolphin with an erection, which I'm also not okay with.

[tyler @ Jul 17th 2008 9:18AM]

$1000? I'm getting pants-shitting drunk tonight!!!

[ZombieLeftovers @ Jul 17th 2008 10:47AM]

The minimum order of 1000 units sounds like a catch to me.

[Hugh @ Jul 17th 2008 8:38AM]

isn't it USD$1,000 minimum per order - ie 4 iphones?? Rather than 1000 units?

[zephyr @ Jul 17th 2008 8:42AM]

yeah, that's how i'm reading this...

[ab @ Aug 8th 2008 9:49AM]

i would like to order

[jasondefaoite @ Jul 17th 2008 8:38AM]

Minimum order of 1000 phones, or USD1000?

[Kamokazi @ Jul 17th 2008 8:39AM]

It says USD1,000, not 1000 units.

[dBs @ Jul 17th 2008 8:41AM]

Actually, I would say that something seems RIGHT about this. I think something seems WRONG with the way Apple and ATT did it.

[coolremo @ Jul 17th 2008 8:41AM]

It's a scam. Don't fall for these BS Chinese suppliers.

[bohsocks @ Jul 17th 2008 8:46AM]

But they have such dreamy eyes!

[Alberto @ Jul 17th 2008 11:07PM]

They done this before. You will end up with a cnect P68 or a T32 clone. Have any of you looked on eBay lately? All am saying is look out...if it sounds to good to be true. Most likely it isn't true.

[Alberto @ Jul 17th 2008 11:10PM]

You know that Apple will start selling the iphones unlock later this year. I believe it's end of Q3. Just FYI.

[Hancock @ Jul 17th 2008 8:42AM]

seems legitimate. it even features a "Nikon Digital camera & Lens". I'll ask how much they want for it.

[doylemb @ Jul 17th 2008 8:43AM]

It says USD 1,000 not 1000 Un . . . Oh, Snap! Three other guys beat me to it!

[deyanimay @ Jul 17th 2008 8:45AM]

At least you realized before engadget, give yourself a pat on the back.

[erislover @ Jul 17th 2008 8:43AM]

I can see why the world rushes to do business in such a fine, upstanding, pro-business area.

[farfisa @ Jul 17th 2008 8:43AM]

That's what Bruce Wayne would do.

[Bodah @ Jul 17th 2008 8:43AM]

How about we take some of those, and give them to ATT for the people that waited in line, and had to order a phone and were told 5 days. 5 days has come and gone.

[bohsocks @ Jul 17th 2008 9:19AM]

(Apologies if a double post)

How about we don't?

[Mojo_Yugen @ Jul 17th 2008 11:56AM]

How about we just all laugh at the people who were stupid enough to wait in line for A PHONE!

[insert laugh audio track here of your choice]

[aboriginal @ Jul 17th 2008 8:43AM]

you want buy copy phone?

[JamesR @ Jul 17th 2008 9:18AM]

It's probably not a copy.

http://www.allroadsleadtochina.com/Pictures/362225946_2a96460d3c.jpg

[damien hunter @ Jul 17th 2008 4:46PM]

Good catch! Shenzhen, PRC is just a short drive from Hong Kong, where the selling company is located.

[inteller @ Jul 17th 2008 8:55AM]

Do they take PayPal? I've ordered stuff from shady people in Hong Kong before and they take PayPal....but I always get the item. True, it isn't for $1000.

[Rakar @ Jul 17th 2008 8:57AM]

Wow, Nikon Digital camera & Lens and Nano? I'm sold.

[Matthew Thomas @ Jul 17th 2008 9:00AM]

Worst part about this is that some poor bugger will read this and actually buy the stupid things because it is on engadget.com therefore it is clearly legit!

[Joe @ Jul 17th 2008 9:00AM]

I call BS. Everyone familiar with chinese suppliers knows that they are listing prices in euros. Since it appears to be stable currency as opposed to the constantly declining dollar. At first I thought it was a joke when my supplier wanted to be paid in euros (this was in 2005), but if you were these guys would you rather take 1000€ or $1000s that might lose a point or 2 by the time the transaction completes.

[nate @ Jul 17th 2008 11:41AM]

Probably 1000 euros since they're worth over 50% more? Or was this a trick question?

[Rob @ Jul 17th 2008 9:07AM]

Our iphones in Belgium are all unlocked ones, because it's forbidden to sell locked ones here.... :D

[Yevon @ Jul 17th 2008 11:52AM]

First, the waffles and now this! What DON'T you people have?

[retro77 @ Jul 17th 2008 12:32PM]

Texas, they dont have Texas....yet.....

[roole @ Jul 17th 2008 1:45PM]

But they did invent frites. And soon, a Bud to down it with.

[Jimmy Cappaert @ Jul 17th 2008 1:58PM]

They're actually unlocked to use with the three operators in Belgium: Proximus, Mobistar and Base. These units will not work with other networks.

[Eduardo @ Aug 5th 2008 1:31PM]

Do you know if you need to buy them with a contract? And if they sell you more than one?
Eduardo

[Chris @ Jul 17th 2008 9:08AM]

umm IT IS REAL GUYS

and its not Euro's Alibaba is rarely in euro it's mostly USD as they cater to US buyers......

also the seller of these is

Is a Gold Memeber and has a Verified Profile meaning they are legit and alibaba last i checked has some pretty strict verifications

[seanchk @ Jul 17th 2008 11:21AM]

Thanks Chris, I was getting seriously pi**ed off at the people making degoratory comments about this supplier.

[Raymond @ Jul 17th 2008 9:12AM]

I don't see a problem with this.

iPhone in Hong Kong is not locked
(Thanks to the fierce market competition, 6 GSM Networks + 4 WCDMA networks in a city with a 7 million population)

iPhone Monthly Plan starts with US$25 with 500mb data and unlimited intra-network SMS

Highest Plan is US$62 with unlimited data and 2200 anytime minutes

If iPhones in Hong Kong is cheaper than anywhere around the world, surely there would be such a market.

[Raymond @ Jul 17th 2008 9:15AM]

One more thing,
iPhone 16GB is just US$18 after rebate if the customer use the unlimited plan.

The Details (English)
http://iphone.three.com.hk/website/en/iplan.html

[tin @ Jul 17th 2008 9:37AM]

yes, however you must prepay a whole 12-month of service fees which is approximately $700usd upon picking up the iphone 3G. HK businessmen know how to create illusion when it comes to emptying your pocket.

[tewks @ Jul 17th 2008 11:23AM]

$700 USD prepaid for a whole year of service and iphone sounds pretty good if you ask me...


$200 + 12*$70 = $1040 on ATT

[Eamonn.McAleer @ Jul 17th 2008 9:13AM]

Wish i lived in Belgium, question would an unlocked iPhone 3G(assuming the software ever comes out) from the US work on the 3G networks in Europe?

[Josh L @ Jul 17th 2008 9:13AM]

1. How is it "8GB" -and- "16GB" ? It can't be both.
2. How many units for USD1000 ? 1? 2? 10?

[d @ Jul 17th 2008 10:06AM]

8 + 16 = 24

[Rick M @ Jul 17th 2008 9:16AM]

I find it odd that it says " We ship out the goods on the same day after payment confirmed" then under Features Specifications it says "iPhone 3G ORIGINAL from Apple coming soon".

Coming soon? Yeah right...

[IFX @ Jul 17th 2008 9:23AM]

Chinese is a term affectionately used for people born and bred in China. You don't call someone from Taiwan, Hong Kong or Singapore a Chinese. It might come across as offensive or derogatory.

Anyway, the company in the spotlight is from Hong Kong.

[jaalin @ Jul 17th 2008 11:08AM]

what? i was born in taiwan, making me 100% chinese. don't confuse nationality and race - the only taiwanese that get offended when you call them chinese are the ones who were born overseas

[rcast1986 @ Jul 17th 2008 12:37PM]

If anyone's going to be offended by anything, it's probably the fact that you're calling these Chinese people "bred".

Way to make them sound like dogs, man.