There's a lot of info I'm trying to pack into the title but I can't fit it all, so I'll have to elaborate here. I did not put the HKD amounts in the title as there was no space, so I put the approximate AUD equivalent based on current xe.com rates.
This is sort of a similar deal to the StarHub deal which had to be purchased in Singapore. This does not have to be purchased in Hong Kong, but is HK$328 cheaper if you purchase it in Hong Kong and it is not a SIM card. I'll come back to the prices later in the "Where to buy" section.
This device is a Wi-Fi modem, similar to those Wi-Fi eggs/hotspots you can rent at many airports throughout Asia, or similar to the ones that Airbnbs in places like Japan sometimes provide as part of the Airbnb rental. These typically cost ~$3-10/day depending on location/destination/data inclusions.
In a nutshell, this is what you're paying for:
- 5GB pre-loaded, useable in 60+ countries with "no expiry" (but I think it is valid for 10 years, as opposed to "no expiry")
- The device itself - so you're not renting it. You're buying it to keep and use ongoing.
So far, this probably doesn't sound particularly appealing. $990HKD (the cheapest you can get it for officially) is ~$175 AUD. $175 AUD for 5GB is $35/GB - ridiculously expensive.
The real highlight is the ongoing top up cost - HK$120 (~$21)/5GB with 2 years validity, available to use in the same 60+ countries.
Top-Up Options
| Day Passes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HKD | AUD | Data | Validity | Comments |
| 48 | 8.5 | 750MB | 1 Day | Throttled to 128Kbps |
| 120 | 21 | 750MB | 5 Days | Throttled to 128Kbps |
| Data Packs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HKD | AUD | Data | Validity | Comments |
| 16 | 2.8 | 500MB | 1 Year | Only Visible in the Device's Portal |
| 48 | 8.5 | 1GB | 2 Years | |
| 120 | 21.3 | 5GB | 2 Years | |
| 240 | 42.6 | 5GB | 10 Years | Only Visible in the Device's Portal |
Where to Buy
From cheapest to most expensive…
- HK$842/~$149 - Staff sale available to Cathay Pacific staff only. Only applicable/available to those who either work for CX, or know someone who works at CX who is willing to buy on their behalf. As at 5 Nov, I hear they are out of stock.
- HK$990/~$175 - [Hong Kong] Pick-up (cash only, I was told) from their office at A1 15F TML Tower, 3 Hoi Shing Rd., Tsuen Wan. Opening Hours: 9:30-12:30; 14:30-18:30; Monday-Friday only. Closed on Public holidays. Recommended that you message them on Facebook to confirm that they have stock. It's a 15-20 minute walk from Tsuen Wan MTR station near above a Tesla showroom, if that makes a difference! The lady I spoke to seems to speak a decent level of basic English and is quite friendly/helpful, but I basically spoke entirely in Cantonese with her. Also got some insights/tips which I'll share below.
- HK$990/~$175 - In-flight on a Cathay Pacific flight
- SGD$185/~$186 - [Singapore] Purchase via Carousell from a private seller in Singapore, cheapest is this one at SGD$185
- SGD$198/~$200 - [Singapore] From the 24-hour Shopping Mall, Mustafa Centre, CD/electronics section on the ground level of Building #3, spotted on 4 Nov 2018
- HK$1190/~$211 - [Hong Kong Airport] Sound & Vision Store - Terminal 1, in between the arrival halls A and B, near 7-Eleven. Unsure of opening hours but happy to update if someone can provide updates.
- HK$1318/~$234 - Online, including free delivery. Unsure of how long delivery takes.
I've had a look on Gumtree/Carousell and can't find any unofficial/private sellers, so it seems the most convenient way to buy it in Australia is by ordering it online. It's also the most expensive option, so having a contact in Singapore/Hong Kong who would be willing to help with the purchase would make it a fair bit cheaper.
Generic Tips/Information (mainly based on my experience)
- Connects up to 8 devices
- There is no SIM card - uses eSIM technology to connect to a local network
- The battery is removable and you can buy an additional removable battery
- Charges via microUSB - supposedly supports QuickCharge 2.0?
- All prices are in HKD, including the data packages. The US$ reference, I was told, is purely for reference purposes
- Top up is instant if done via the portal while connected to the device, otherwise takes up to 24 hours if done online on their website
- Top ups can be paid for using PayPal/Credit Card
- The device has no screen - to view info about the device (basically network status info), you access http://a.pokefi/ in a browser while your device is connected to the device. This portal is similar to those router portal pages you need to access when setting up your WiFi name and password for the first time
- Device only has one button and is reasonably easy to use
- Device is quite small - wider than your typical smartphone, but shorter and probably a little lighter.
- WiFi SSID (name) and password can be amended in the portal. Otherwise, default SSID/Password can be viewed
- Device has 1-year Hong Kong warranty, so not particularly useful to us
- Recommended that you register the device. This allows you to "transfer" a data pack in case you choose to purchase a new device, i.e. you get to keep any unused data
- I was in Shenzhen. Internet connectivity only worked 50% of the time. Probably still better/more reliable to use a Hong Kong SIM with China roaming, or StarHub. China is huge though, so maybe reception is better elsewhere in China.
- Was extremely smooth in Hong Kong - but you'd expect that, being the home country
- Battery life was acceptable - seemed to get about 10-12 hours of usage, which is what is quoted.
- Was told that it "does not work" in Singapore airport. Supposedly the government has been able to implement something that prevents the device from connecting? Don't know what the staff member meant, but she sounded confident when she said it.
- It is still probably cheaper to buy local SIMs in a lot of the South East Asian countries, but obviously this is for convenience in not having to change SIMs
- No coverage in South America. Pretty good coverage in Europe.
- Cheaper per GB rate than StarHub, and in some cases local carriers - but we get plenty of "new customer" data bonuses, thanks to the likes of Kogan and Optus.
- The only country StarHub covers that Pokefi does not is New Zealand
- Remember to turn off automatic WiFi syncing of your photos/videos on Google Photos, as this is WiFi!
- Alternatively, have your device/phone recognise the specific WiFi SSID as a "restricted data WiFi connection"
- Remember to use a card that waives international transaction fees when paying, such as 28 Degrees, Bankwest Platinum Cards, ANZ Travel Adventures, Citibank Plus, Macquarie Bank, Ubank, ING Direct with qualifying criteria, Coles Rewards Mastercard. See here for my recent post comparing the conversion rates between Citibank, ING and Macquarie.
- Avoid using PayPal's conversion rates
- Usage in China is subject to "The Great Firewall", however, I was able to send and receive WhatsApp text messages, but not pictures/videos.
Despite the device having been around for over a year, I'm amazed that the only mention of it so far, besides me previously asking for feedback here on Ozbargain is by a comment by vkkcheung in August 2017.
I'm hoping this post will trigger a wave of Ozbargainers potentially using the device and able to share their experiences/tips using it. Flyertalk seems to have a small but reasonable volume of users talking about their experiences.
I've spent a lot of time writing this up so I hope this helps some people!
This was first posted on The Bulging Wallet on 25 October 2018. Please click through to read about Pokefi in more detail, and subscribe to the mailing list/follow on Facebook if you enjoy the content. I also have a more in-depth review of my time using it, some screenshots of the portals, and I mention some potential alternatives.
Not pertinent to me right now, but I appreciate the effort and detail in the post!