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Whoa! Looks like Hong Kong’s kung fu may not be as good as we thought it was. While their rates aren’t terrible, it doesn’t seem like many people will actually be able to enjoy them, least not at launch!

Reader Janric sent this in:

Unfortunately, you need to register in 3’s website and pray that you’ll be one of the random 500 lucky ones selected for the July 11 launch. In other words, the iPhone 3G launch in HK is very limited. You can only buy it on July 11 if you are one of the lucky 500 registrants. There is no information on their website on when it can be purchased by the public. I also called 3 customer service and they don’t know when it will be available after the July 11 launch. Hopefully I can get more details after July 8 (date of the draw for the 500).

After communist party officials back in China, the local Taipans, and the Shaolin monks (’natch), what are the odds an average Apple iPhone seeker will even get one of the units?

Could this launch get any crazier?

Probably, as the next week is likely to show us all!

Proving their kung-fu is far better than Canada’s or Scandinavia’s, Hutchison Telecom’s 3 brand just kicked out some positively Confucian price points:

With a 2 year contract, the low end plan will run you just HK$188 (a WOW-inducing US$24!!) for 500/500/500 (minutes, heart-to-heart minutes, and data megs), along with 25 MMS and 15 SMS (+ unlimited intra-SMS), and HK$2938 for the 8GB handset and $3738 for the 16GB.

Top end is HK$498 a month (US$42) will net you 2200/1500/Unlimited data, with 150 MMS, 50 SMS (+ unlimited intra-SMS), a FREE 8GB handset, or HK$138 for a 16GB.

By way of bitter comparison, Norway is paying US$221 for 1000 min. and 1GB, Sweden is paying US$145 for 1000/1GB and Canada is getting hosed for US$100 for 600/1GB. (AT&T is $+30 for unlimited data).

Thanks to Janric for the tip!

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Short and pro-forma sweet:

Hutchison Telecommunications Limited said Thursday that it has signed an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone to Hong Kong and Macau later this year.

Updated list:

Launched: Austria (T-Mobile), France (Orange), Germany (T-Mobile), Ireland (O2), UK (O2), USA (AT&T)

Announced: Africa (Orange), Argentina (America Movil), Australia (Vodafone / SingTel), Austria (Orange), Belgium (Orange), Brazil (America Movil), Canada (Rogers), Chile (America Movil), Columbia (America Movil), the Czech Republic (Vodafone), Denmark (TeliaSonera), Dominican Republic (America Movil/ Orange), Ecuador (America Movil), Egypt (Vodafone / Orange), El Salvador (America Movil), Estonia (TeliaSonera), Finland (TeliaSonera), Greece (Vodafone), Guatamala (America Movil), Honduras (America Movil), Hong Kong SAR (Hutchison) India (Vodafone / SingTel), Italy (Vodafone / Telecom Italia), Jamaica (America Movil), Jordan (Orange), Latvia (TeliaSonera), Lithuania (TeliaSonera), Macao (Hutchison), Mexico (America Movil), New Zealand (Vodafone), Nicaragua (America Movil), Norway (TeliaSonera), Paraguay (America Movil), Peru (America Movil), Philippines (SingTel), Poland (Orange), Portugal (Vodafone / Orange), Puerto Rico (America Movil), Romania (Orange), Singapore (SingTel), Slovakia (Orange), South Africa (Vodafone), Switzerland (Swisscom / Orange), Turkey (Vodafone), Uruguay (America Movil)

Rumored: Netherlands (?),

Note: Extent of America Movil and Orange Africa deployment not yet fully detailed.

Of course, Hong Kong and Macao are nice and all, but there’s still Taiwan and the giant sleeping dragon itself, China to go.

When will they, Japan, and Antarctica drop?

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