先達廣場

Years ago I started coming here every time I visited Hong Kong - to unlock my cell phone, to get the latest and cutest accessories for my phones, to check out the many models not available in the U.S. My brother also comes here to sell his old stuff.

Nowadays, with my phones come in unlocked, and so many things easily purchased on Amazon, I don't really need to come here. But I still do, once in a while, for the experience of it.

This center is divided up into over a hundred of little stalls, each with about 5-10 feet of store front. Each is manned by a man or woman (sometimes a teenager), who will be eating or playing with the phone (or both) if not helping a customer. If you chat with them, you'll be amazed by the width and depth of their product knowledge. They know their phones inside out. They will glance at your phone and know which screen cover or holder you need, or which gadget works with your phone. If they don't have it they will go over to the next stall to get it for you. For US$1 or less they will stick the screen cover on perfectly for you, if you are the type who tends to mess it up. Honestly the customer service beats the American big boxes or phone service centers by a mile.

I've never bought phone here, so I don't know how trustworthy they are, but if you need some accessory to dress up your phone, this is a pretty good place to go.

When my friends come to Hong Kong and they ask me where they can buy electronics from- I usually tell them Fortress because let's be honest; its a big place where they can get everything, with warranty and though it might not be the cheapest on earth- its probably a hell of a lot cheaper than it is back home already. Then there are those who come here for specific products- computers, personal electronics and most of all- phones.

For the more adventurous and looking for a real bargain, or they are just looking to have their phones fixed quick and on the cheap; I would recommend them to go to Sin Tat. Sin tat is a complex in the middle of bustling Mongkok that is filled from top to bottom (well two levels) with mobile phone stores. New phones, second hand phones, spares, parts, accessories- anything to do with a mobile you will find it there. In the old days when there were a million different brands it was truly a spectacle, it was similar to a showdown of the brands but repeated over and over again with the different shops. Nowadays with people just using a handful of different brands, its down to the pricing, phones are significantly cheaper here than it is outside and its down to your jaw power to see how much of a discount you can negotiate (not really much though these days).

If you are to venture there to buy something I would recommend that you bring a local friend as foreigners there are just sheep waiting to be slaughtered. Its not a rough place as such but its not Disneyland either. Do be really careful in what you buy as there have been many stories of second hand being passed off as new phones, fraud tactics of sorts hence you should really be on your guard. However, if you were to get a new phone on the cheap- you can't beat this place.

This may be the biggest mall for mobile devices on Kowloon. It is located in the ever so crowded neighborhood of Mong Kok. I think that there must be at least a hundred of tiny little shops stacked on a couple of floors. Alleys are narrow and normally it's crowded which can make moving around difficult. Claustrophobic may have a problem especially on weekends.
But here you can find anything that has something to do with mobile devices. They have the latest Android's and iPhones, any accessory to go with it you can get here. They do any repairs of your phone, you can even get a new battery for your iPhone. And you can also trade in your old mobile, there is actually a big second hand market. In comparison to Android the iPhones have the best trade in value. Make sure to compare prices before you buy. Prices vary from shop to shop, you can easily save some money.
In general you will buy cheaper here than at Fortress or Broadway and you still get the official Hong Kong guarantee. Sin Tat caters all different budgets!