In gadget-mad Hong Kong, many are yet to be convinced by the latest innovation in mobile phone technology. Two-thirds of 400 people polled about 3G had heard of the technology, but just 5 per cent said they were likely to use it in the next six months. Most told marketing group TNS they 'did not see the benefit' of signing up to the newest-generation mobile technology. One in 10 believed the subscription would cost too much. Victor On-kwok Li, chair professor of information engineering at the University of Hong Kong, said the latest technology would take time to gain a foothold in the city. He said for many Hongkongers the mobile phone was a fashion statement. 'It is a status symbol. This can be seen with people changing their mobile phone every six months,' Professor Li said. 'Hong Kong people are very interested in new gadgets and that is why we have all the newest digital cameras and the newest MP3 players for sale here.' Xu Yan, assistant professor of information systems management at the University of Science and Technology, said Hong Kong had the second-highest usage rate for mobile phones, behind Taiwan, with a penetration rate of 102 mobiles for every 100 inhabitants. 'Now we have 3G it will give us a clear picture of the popularity of mobile communications and internet broadband,' he said.