HK carriers to launch iPhone 4 for free with HK$398 monthly plan

At the stroke of midnight, thousands of consumers will be the first in Hong Kong to obtain Apple's iPhone 4 for free or just HK$580.

Those attractive options are being offered by mobile network operators 3 Hong Kong and SmarTone-Vodafone, which announced yesterday their respective tariff plans for the sleek, video-conferencing-ready smartphone.

The two firms and new Apple carrier-partner CSL will each host iPhone 4 launch parties tonight where attendees will be able to buy the device on site instead of heading to the shops tomorrow.

To get a free 16-gigabyte iPhone 4, subscribers must choose the HK$398 monthly plan that comes with unlimited data usage and intra-network text messaging. With its plan, 3 Hong Kong bundles 2,500 voice minutes per month - a bit more than the 2,400 that come with the comparable SmarTone-Vodafone package.

A 32GB iPhone 4 is available with an upfront payment of HK$580 with that unlimited data plan. For iPad users, 3 Hong Kong is offering unlimited local data and Wi-fi links for an extra HK$50 a month to those on its HK$398 iPhone plan.

The cheapest plan for both carriers costs HK$138 a month, with 100 megabytes of data and unlimited intra-network text messaging. With this plan, a 16GB iPhone 4 is offered at HK$3,480 by SmarTone-Vodafone and HK$3,380 by 3 Hong Kong.

The handset's 32GB version under the same monthly plan will cost HK$4,280 with SmarTone-Vodafone and HK$4,180 with 3 Hong Kong.