Once I started iSpying in the crowded, bustling streets of Hong Kong, it was hard to stop. (Also, the IP lawyers must be seriously busy in these parts.)
These are some of my favorite finds of Apple-esque products and signs — minus the pics that didn’t turn out because my travel companions were trying to stop me from lagging behind or getting run over.
We’ll have more reporting from Hong Kong soon; a special thanks goes out to Truman Au for showing me around.
Everything’s about shopping in Hong Kong. So why just an Apple store — they have three official ones, plus Apple resellers and a gray market, by the way — when you can have a whole Apple mall?
You’ll find the one and only Apple Mall across from the Tin Hau metro station.
How about an Apple logo USB stick? These will set you back about USD$12 for five of them at the Ladies Market.
Note: as per the packaging, this “Dinosaur Driver” is compatible with “Windows Vista/XP/Macintosh/Linux.”
If those plain white Apple cords are a bit too minimalist for you, here’s a whole box of colorful jump-rope like ones found in Sham Shui Po, where there is basically an entire mall-let dedicated to accessories and peripherals.
And you can get them in varying lengths — up to three meters long — too!
For the indecisive and possibly clueless tablet customer, have I got something for you: behold the iPad Samsung!
Spotted in Mongkok, it reminds me of the Android iPhone I found in Brazil not so long ago.
Any takers?
I love how these portable iPhone batteries are shaped kinda like an iPod.
It’s poetic: a product nearing extinction fueling the current one. For iFans only, it’ll drain your wallet by about USD$25.
This souvenir keychain throws it down: fuggedabout New York.
Hong Kong is now the Big Apple.
If you want to make sure everyone knows you’re using an iPhone, try this “Creative apple” iPhone case, with an apple-shaped hole for the camera. In case it was too subtle for you.
Spotted at the Ladies Market.
What your sleek, beautifully designed iPhone needs is a little oomph. You know, some sparkle.
You’ll need it to stand out in a city like Hong Kong, where even the buildings compete to outshine each other in the Symphony of Lights show taking place every single night of the week.
The crystal logo stickers and home buttons were spotted in Mongkok and cost about USD$20.
Check out the patent pleather version of the Apple bag, in red or yellow, also found in the Ladies Market.
There’s a black one, too — the woman who bought it and was showing her treasure to a friend led me straight to them.
Forgive the unfortunate crop on this next one. It’s a decorated aluminum *button* for your iPhone. So, you know, you have more logo going on.
I’d imagine this would please the customer who goes for the Creative apple case above.
Cost? Just about USD$4.75
To make sure you’re headed to the right place in Hong Kong, you must choose your words very carefully.
If not, you might be directed to the Apple Shop — where you can buy jeans and plaid shirts instead of that iPad.
If you want to add a color boost to your iPhone 5C, how springing for some earbuds in a matching (or, what the heck, contrasting) shade?
At about USD$5.80, you could buy a whole bunch. The sellers want you to know that they are Android compatible, too.
I noticed a glam gal primping with a case like this on the metro before spotting these in the Ladies Market in Mongkok. Little mirrors pop out the back so you can check your iFace whenever you need to.
