Friday, January 9, 2009

iPhone!!

Finally, I've got an iphone 3G, sort of reward for me as my Sony Ericsson Z610i, of which I have been non-stop torturing, is already defaced by me, i.e. key broken, paint dropped out from the casing, etc. etc.

I have never stop using 3G phone, be it surfing, reading news and blogs, SMSing, talking, anything you name it. I have in fact maximise a device by the name mobile phone, but it has been essentially my main tool for my work, another tool is my Macbook.

Not to mention all the mobile Java applications that I installed on Z610i, i.e Opera Mini browser, GMail, Google Map (this works with my external GPS device), Weather forecast, etc. etc.

Waited for more than a year hoping that the local celco will bring in iphone 3G, the most notable mention is Maxis, keep saying iphone is on its way to Malaysia, but we never see the light until now.

For the year end holiday season, I begun to hunt for iphone 3G in Malaysia. The first place to check is of course Low Yat Plaza. I went thru the pain of talking to the sellers there, went to Sungei Wang, Digital Mall, and surf online to Lelong, Mudah.com.my, eBay Malaysia, and Low Yat net forum.

Hundreds of phone calls, sms, web surfing, forum messaging, and face to face talk to sellers to find out whether they really understand what they are talking.

This is extremely important if you want an iphone 3G and retain Apple Warranty eventhough warranty can only be claimed from where the iphone 3G sold, not Malaysia. For example, if you buy a Singtel set, you will need to claim warranty from Singtel or Apple Singapore. Local Apple will not attend to your warranty claim.

Another hurdle is to ensure iphone 3G is officially unlocked, not unlocked by means of either using a SIM adaptor, hardware modification, or software based unlock.

This is important as both SIM and hardware modification voids Apple warranty, plus you will not be able to use iTune to sync your iphone 3G with your computer. For people who use iphone 3G just as another mobile phone, this does not matter for them, but for me, it is important.

Then you need to determine whether the iphone 3G on sale is genuinely official unlocked, which only a handful of countries' iphone 3G is unlocked by Apple due to local legislation, else your seller may trick you to believe that it is unlocked but is in fact unlocked by other means.

Finally, you need to make sure it is a genuine Apple iphone 3G instead of iphone clone from China.

I was offered an iphone 3G for RM2,300 where the box claimed it is from Hong Kong (from the product code), but the unit is a clone instead. There's no WiFi and 3G, but it has MMS which does not exist in the original Apple iphone 3G. This unit looks like iphone, acts like iphone, but it is not an iphone. Bear in mind the market price for this clone is only RM800 and the guy waned to sell me RM2,300!!

I went to several shops around Low Yat/Sungei Wang area, some seller offer iphone 3G from US, and claimed official unlocked, which is impossible. Some seller offered iphone with no activation, means it does not exist in Apple Warranty database. Some seller selling iphone 3G with only 6 month's Apple warranty left, which may be an used set but selling at the new set price.

So you have to check the box, the phone, its IMEI number, and make sure both matches, and check Apple online Support on warranty availability.

The market price for 16GB model is approximately RM2,950, 8GB is very limited in stock, going for RM2,300 to RM2,600.

Some of the seller at Low Yat forum and Lelong are quite professional and knowing the stuff well, but I cannot wait any longer, and also need to trade-in the Z610i. Furthermore, I insist on checking the unit before paying, and most good sellers are either no stock in hand at that moment, or they are located too far away from KL.

Well, all these are now history, the iphone 3G is with me now.

Am I happy? YES!

5 comments:

  1. 白老大..那個二妹好像發燒了!!說他忙到累的都快哭了!!

    多照顧一下她嘿..台灣冷到我也想哭了!!六度...大家都快結霜了!!

    你們這麼溫暖還發燒喔!!要保重喔..

    你們要好好的!保重身體..要開開心心!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. 白老大...

    二妹說她發燒了..說她累到快哭了..

    給她『惜惜』一下喔...

    要照顧一下她嘿..

    台灣冷到剩六度..快凍僵了!!!

    你們要多保重身體..愛你們的MIKA

    ReplyDelete
  3. 別担心!萬事有我!

    其實這是她趕工時常有的毛病,工作完成後她的病也就會好了。

    台灣的氣溫這麼的低但你們還這樣熱情,難得、難得!

    希望你們大家都好。沒聽到其他人說話心裡总有些掛念,阿魯、阿布、還有加淇都好吧?

    哈哈!爲了你們特地裝上繁體中文手寫,還不賴呵!

    你們也都加油,台灣有幸,有你們這一群年輕人!

    ReplyDelete
  4. 白老大..你這留言系統反應爆爛..

    我每次都以為留言成功啦!!每次都重覆留言說...氣死我了!!

    他們可能不太會留言吧~~

    我也是不太會用這系統說..

    他們兩個男生尾牙喝掛了!!這幾天台灣公司尾牙季..

    白老大開一個無名吧!!
    我們大家都有無名部落格說..
    http://www.wretch.cc/

    ReplyDelete
  5. 在我們這裡速度還可以。

    要我開個中文部落格恐怕會要了我的老命!

    再說,再說。

    ReplyDelete