Using your iPhone in Hong Kong – Android Smart phones in Hong Kong with eSims

Last Update: May 2025

Be sure to secure your iPhone or Android Smartphone before you travel. Precautions will help prevent disaster.

The iPhone or any Android Smartphone is an essential tool when traveling to Hong Kong for tourists.

• Google Translate Language translation
• Google maps
• Openrice Restaurant Reviews
• Travel guides
• Facebook, Instagram, etc

We have done the research on our last trip and are sharing the findings with you.

We also have articles on using prepaid SIM cards in other countries:

• Using iPhones in Hong Kong
• Using iPhones in China
• Using iPhones in France
• Using iPhones in the UK
• Using iPhones in Japan
• Using iPhones in Mexico, Cancun

Foodnut.com’s Hong Kong Restaurant Reviews:

• Conrad Nicolini’s Sunday Brunch Buffet, Hong Kong
• Crystal Jade, Hong Kong
• Harbourside Buffet, Hong Kong
• Lei Garden, Hong Kong
• Lung King Heen, Hong Kong
• Yan Toh Heen, Hong Kong
• Yung Kee, Hong Kong
• Hong Kong Restaurant Mini Reviews

Here are tips on using your iPhone and others in Hong Kong

Unlocked Phones

You can only use foreign SIM cards in an unlocked iPhone or Android Smartphone. A locked smartphone only works on the original cell phone carrier. Cell phone carriers in the US include:

• AT&T allows you to unlock Smartphones after your contract has been completely fulfilled, and has passed a 60 day waiting period.
• T-Mobile requires 40 days of postpaid service and full payment before they will unlock a cell phone under contract.
• Verizon Postpaid Phones will after 60 days, automatically remove the lock.
• You can alternately purchase an unlocked Smartphone from Amazon, eBay, etc.

You can buy a unlocked used iPhone from eBay or Craigslist. Unlocked iPhone that are refurbished are cheaper.

Smartphones with eSIMs

Electronics SIM Cards or eSIMs are used by most recent vintage smartphones.  iPhone XS or newer, Samsung Galaxy S20 or newer and others all use this electronic chip to change mobile providers.

Many shoppers buy eSims for their phone before they arrive. It does require an unlocked phone.

• To be safe, we recommend at least 1GB per person, per day. More if you stream a lot of video.

Nomad eSIM for Asia –  Hong Kong, China, Macau

Nomad has eSIMs for

• Asia Hong Kong, China, Macau 20GB 45days for $30
• $5 off first purchase with Coupon code: NORMAYUEVW

Airalo eSIM for Hong Kong

Airalo has these eSIMs:

• $3 off your first eSIM purchase with Code: NORMAN2505

Hong Kong only

• Hkmobile eSIM 10GB, Valid for 30 days US$19
• Hkmobile eSIM 20GB, Valid for 30 days US$32

Asia 18 countries including Hong Kong, China, Macao

• Asialink eSIM 10GB, Valid for 30 days US$37
• Asialink eSIM 20GB, Valid for 30 days US$49

Website access without VPN in China

You need one eSIM for each phone, which becomes pricey, so we use a MiFi mobile router to share one Phystical SIM with multiple devices.

Note: In mainland China, their iPhone models do not support eSIM’s.

Using a Physical SIM Card

Older phones use physical SIM Cards. You need to physically buy a new card when you land in the country. USA version include:

• iPhone 13 or older,
• iPad Pro 6th Gen or older, 11 or 12.9-inch)
• iPad Mini 6th Gen or older
• Samsung Galaxy S19 or older

Different Smartphones use different sized SIM cards. Most foreign cell phone carriers sell smaller micro-SIM (iPhone 4, 4S, older iPad) and nano-SIM (iPhone 13,12, 11, XR, XS, X, 8, 8 Plus, 7 Plus, 7, 6 Plus, 6, 5, 5s, 5c, iPad Pro, mini and Air) for use in a variety of Smartphones. Newer places have 3 in 1 combo packs to accommodate all sizes. You should remove the SIM card from your phone before you attempt to purchase a prepaid SIM card in another country.

Cellphone carriers in Hong Kong

The main cellphone carriers in Hong Kong are:

• 3 Hong Kong
• CSL (China Mobile Hong Kong)
• China Mobile Hong Kong
• SmarTone

3 Hong Kong SIM

3 Hong Kong has DIY Prepaid SIM cards – eSIM also available.

Local Plan – Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau

• 2000 minutes, 12GB HK$100 for 30 days
• 3000 minutes, 20GB HK$150 for 30 days

Hong Kong, Macau, Mainland China

• 15GB 30 Day Pass Greater Bay Area 15GB HK$138 for 30 days
• 30GB 30 Day Pass Greater Bay Area 15GB HK$198 for 30 days

Buy via Mobimatter to skip online passport verification

CSL Hong Kong

Prepaid SIM Cards

• 18GB HK$100 for 30 days
• 28GB HK$180 for 365 days

Expensive China, Macau roaming HK$98 / 3GB

China Mobile Hong Kong

Prepad SIM Cards

• Hong Kong Tourist 5G 35GB HK$100 (156)
• 30GB Local 365-Day Data Prepaid SIM Card HK$128 (198)
• 20GB 5G Greater Bay Area Prepaid sim card HK$228 (476)

May require registration and might have limitations accessing certain websites.

SmarTone

Prepaid SIM Cards

• 8 Day Unlimited China-HK-Macau Prepaid SIM Card HK$88
• 1 year China-HK-Macau HK$298 at 7-Eleven

SoSIM

Prepaid SIM Cards and eSIMs

• 30 Days 50GB Hong Kong Data $33
  • Greater China $10/day 500MB

Billionconnect

• Hong Kong, China, Macau 15GB, 30 days $18.68
• Use code: ALMVC3CT to save $3 on your first purchase

Saily

• eSIM Asian and Oceania (Hong Kong, China) 10GB $35.99 – 50GB $95.99

Holafly

• Unlimitd eSIM for China+Hong Kong+Macau $29.90 for 7 days – 14 days $47.90
  • Not great service in China

Discover Hong Kong Tourist SIM Card

The Hong Kong Tourist Association is promoting a SIM Card on the CSL network. It is a special HK$88/12GB (7-day pass) or HK$118/24GB (15-day pass Tourist SIM Card with:

• Unlimited local voice calls
• Bundles of 5G mobile data for Hong Kong and Macao
  The 12GB/24GB of data that comes pre-loaded on the SIM can be used in both Hong Kong and Macao, at 5G speeds. Additional data can be purchased at $88 for a 7-day pass of 12GB or $118 for a 15-day pass of 24GB.
• Extended data coverage to Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao
  You can easily sign up for roaming data services in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao with a pre-loaded value of HK$30 for 1GB of data, valid for 365 days.  Not exactly cheap roaming.
• Unlimited csl Wi-Fi usage
  Log on at more than 15,000 hotspots around the city so you can update on the move. See how to find your nearest location here.

This is a good bet if you are near their Wifi hot spots, which seem to be located throughout Hong Kong.

Previous visits to Hong Kong which required purchasing SIM Cards

China Mobile Individual Traveler 4G/3G Prepaid SIM Card

In 2020 we visited Hong Kong and purchased a HK$68 (US$9) SIM card from 7-11 right outside when you exit customs. It includes:

• 5 days on Unlimited data
• $18 Stored Value
• $0.25/min Hong Kong local Airtime/call to Mainland China
• Normal + Micro + Nano SIM
• Works with our Huawei Mi-Fi Device

You can buy this at any 1O1O shop, including the outlet at 5/F of the Hong Kong International Airport Arrival Hall.

This card is also available at 7-Eleven, Circle K or VanGO, csl. or PCCW-HKT shops, and the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s Kowloon Visitor Centre at the Star Ferry in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

The day pass comes in the form of a 3-in-1 SIM card, suitable for phones that require micro, mini and nano SIMs, and is rechargeable for up to 180 days to make longer stays more convenient.

Share the Connection with Mobile Wi-Fi

This Hong Kong Tourist SIM Card also worked in our Mobile Wi-Fi (Mi-Fi), a HUAWEI E5577. We connected 4 phones to this via Wi-Fi!  No need to get 4 separate SIM Cards.

You can rent mobile Wi-Fi devices at the airport, but beware that they sell out during holidays like Chinese New Year.

1010 CSL Hong Kong Other options

From the past: We learned from a local that 1010 CSL has a good network. So we decided to investigate. Details on csl Local Prepaid SIM Cards

China Mobile 4G SIM Card

We also bought a cheap SIM card from klook (US$6.80) and picked it up from the Hong Kong airport.

• 8 days of unlimited 3G
• 1.5GB of 4G data for 5 days
• IDD Calling available for 4G card
• Nano, Micro and Mini SIMs available

This did not offer as much data as we needed, but was cheap enough for use in an unlocked phone to stay in contact.

3’s SIMs automatically sets iPhone Data settings to:

apn: mobile.three.com.hk
guest
guest

visual voice mail: mobile.three.com.hk
mms: apn
mmsc: https://mms.vm.three.com.hk
mmsproxy: mms.three.com.hk:8799

Call ##107# to check your card’s balance.

Verizon CDMA Phone Warning

Many apps are extremely useful when travelling, we used them all the time. Using our USA AT&T iPhone in Hong Kong was fine, after we unlocked it.

Older Verizon iPhones from the USA do not work internationally, since they use CDMA technology. Verizon did sell several “World Phones” which work with SIM Cards.  Check your phone before leaving.

These instructions should work for other smartphones including Android smartphones that support American GSM networks from AT&T and T-Mobile.