Its bid to reshape the market, based on technology and not competitively priced services and handsets, may fall flat
Incessant collecting or upgrading to the latest brand of mobile phone is a longstanding foible of Hong Kong people.
Whether they are similarly discerning about their choice of mobile operator is another matter.
The struggle between operators and manufacturers for a hold over the customers' affection and loyalty exists in all markets. Do you use Vodafone, Sunday or are you just a Nokia user? Can the bundle of services a carrier offers ever be enough to create a distinctive brand - more importantly, one that customers will pay a premium for?
Hutchison, with its launch of '3', aims to build a new market as it does not differentiate between its 1.9 million customers at Orange and potential new ones - no one will receive handset subsidies.
As the upfront cost of the latest handsets typically dwarfs monthly tariffs, Hong Kong customers long accustomed to 2G subsidies will find this hard to swallow. More so when they see the hefty sweeteners 3 users are offered elsewhere in the world.
Nokia's first push into 3G handsets looks destined to strain Hutchison's attempt to segment 3 into a new premium market. While Hutchison is used to being a big player in most markets, not so next to Nokia, which will probably be more concerned with Vodafone's 3G timetable and handset preferences. Nokia's new 7600 model seeks to minimise the differences between technology standards - 3G becomes a mere add-on to its existing offering.