|
So I signed up with bmobile, voice and data SIM. LINE won't let me add friends unless I verify my age, but they think I am with Docomo and want me to sign in with my Docomo account. Any work around for an iPhone?
|
#
?
May 20, 2014 11:09
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 30, 2024 16:52 |
|
|
Any way to unlock an au iphone? First store we tried said they don't do it. Asking for a friend that used to live her and moved away.
|
|
#
?
Jun 17, 2014 11:20
|
|
|
Pegnose Pete posted:I don't have my visa yet. I actually just assumed it would be one year and they would renew it if I decide to renew my contract. I think they were maybe changing it to five year, even? But yeah, definitely at least three.
|
|
#
?
Jun 18, 2014 13:28
|
|
|
Got told to come here from the Megathread. I want to use my iPhone 5S A1530 in Japan using b-mobile's hotel sim delivery service but, they don't list my model number phone and I can't get my head round all these numbers.b-mobile posted:Your device must support one of the following frequency. iPhone 5s Specs posted:Model A1530*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20); TD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40)  Not fussed about LTE speeds as I'm in China where 3G is a luxuary.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2014 16:58
|
|
|
You have the same bands so technically it should work (band 1). Make sure you get the right SIM size too.
|
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2014 03:02
|
|
|
Kodo posted:You have the same bands so technically it should work (band 1). Make sure you get the right SIM size too. Thank you!
|
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2014 10:05
|
|
|
Like some previous posters, I'm soon going to Japan for a year and will need a phone. I have no idea how often I'd actually be using voice service, but I'll be there as a student. If I read correctly, is my best bet an unlocked phone + b-mobile data SIM card、 or a wifi hotspot?
|
|
#
?
Aug 19, 2014 04:55
|
|
|
Anaxite posted:Like some previous posters, I'm soon going to Japan for a year and will need a phone. I have no idea how often I'd actually be using voice service, but I'll be there as a student. Wifi hotspots are still obnoxious to locate and sign up for (a lot of them restrict to 30 minutes per session, limited number of sessions/one session per day), but at the same time b mobile requires proof of residency so you can't even sign up for the long term plans until you get your alien registration card.
|
|
#
?
Aug 19, 2014 06:03
|
|
|
Kodo posted:Wifi hotspots are still obnoxious to locate and sign up for (a lot of them restrict to 30 minutes per session, limited number of sessions/one session per day), but at the same time b mobile requires proof of residency so you can't even sign up for the long term plans until you get your alien registration card. That sounds annoying, but I figured I'd have to wait until I'm there. I wish the data plans were a bit better than I read up on, though. How about something like T-mobile USA's data/text roaming?
|
|
#
?
Aug 19, 2014 06:11
|
|
|
Long overdue update, now that I have phone service... I was without service for a few weeks upon arrival in Japan. Once I was properly settled in, I found someone selling an international model Nexus 5 on Amazon for a great price and bought it. I'm pairing it with the Smartphone Free Data plan from b-mobile, which is costing me ¥3,300 a month. I get: - An actual phone number - 3 GB high-speed data per month, 200kbps unlimited after that - ability to upgrade/downgrade high-speed data and other services - 4-5 month contract, no cancellation penalties afterwards It did take a few days to activate the SIM card, but was pretty painless otherwise. Found the SIM card at Yodobashi Camera, bought it on the spot, followed online instructions and set up credit card payment. Yodobash had other data-only SIMs from various companies; some are working well for other people and can be activated in-store. As a bonus, those should have no contract whatsoever (unless the store attendants lied about it). In summary, though the MVNO plans seem to have a bit more data latency and don't have free calling, they're really cheap and work well if you have a phone with the right wireless band support.
|
|
#
?
Sep 30, 2014 16:25
|
|
|
I have the same SIM with b-mobile, works great. Was going to switch when the new iPhone came out but I haven't had any issues so why bother pay more to go with one of the big names.
|
|
#
?
Sep 30, 2014 18:33
|
|
|
I came in here to ask about T-Mobile's global data performance in Japan but I ended up finding a great review of the service from someone who tested it back in July: http://support.t-mobile.com/message/385971#385971 tl;dr: It works just fine. T-Mo partners with Docomo so the guy was getting 4G-esque (at least for T-Mo) speeds even though his phone was reporting a 3G connection. Calls are $0.20 a minute if you don't do WiFi calling (or, I imagine, use VoIP through Hangouts). That basically seals the deal for me - I'm moving into an Japanese-oriented IT job here in the US and I wanted to pick up a plan that'll survive brief trips across the Pacific. It looks like T-Mo's the way to go 
|
|
#
?
Oct 7, 2014 21:50
|
|
|
I had considered T-Mo before, but was worried that the speeds would be horribly throttled. Glad to hear the situation's pretty good now.
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2014 13:12
|
|
|
I'll be flying to Osaka with some friends for 5 nights in April. I'm normally a somewhat heavy data user (averaging 3-4GB on my smartphone plan a month), and having Google Maps/Waze access plus translation and general browsing/lookups of places to visit will definitely be high priorities on this trip. My usual approach when flying to another country is to bring my dual-SIM phone, with my home SIM on roaming in one SIM slot (for calls/texts to home), then get a local prepaid SIM for data so my phone bill won't poo poo itself with data roaming. After reading the OP though, I'm suddenly not so sure how feasible an option that is. How reliable is the b-mobile service? The visitor SIM option on their website seems workable. Would just renting a mobile hotspot as mentioned in the OP be a better/cheaper option?
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2015 01:35
|
|
|
I've been using b-mobile on my phones every time I'm in Japan, mostly for maps/navigation, Hangouts and idle browsing. They're a docomo reseller so coverage of some kind should be available basically everywhere, but LTE connectivity seemed a lot less reliable than 3G in my experience (around in Chiba)
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2015 12:20
|
|
|
I'm planning to spend 3 weeks in Japan this coming fall. My phone is a bog standard US Verizon iPhone 5S (A1533) purchased via Apple Store. My anticipated needs are 1) maps, lots of maps (probably also translation at times) 2) some internet while at hotel (dunno yet if the hotel/s will have wifi), and 3) maybe a handful of phone calls in emergency / late-for-checkin situations. From Googling & skimming this thread, renting a wimax/emobile pocket wifi from e.g. http://en.wifi-rental-store.jp/ seems the most affordable (3 weeks + 3-5 GB for only ¥9450 / $80, or cheaper if I buy a month). I wonder how much of a pain they are to use periodically while out (battery life? USB-rechargable? etc). Having the same service/plan for roaming & in-room internet feels convenient too (vs cell data + hotel internet separately). It's unclear if my phone is/can be unlocked; even if so, the few SIM rentals I've looked at were about the same cost as a GB or so of Verizon's own roaming (~¥32550 -> ~$275). Ditto outright phone rentals (~$210). Main upside would be that these options come with more than 1 GB. Are there options I'm missing? How accurate does all that look? etc 
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2015 07:50
|
|
|
bitprophet: From my (admittedly limited) experience here, 3 weeks is in that weird limbo of being a bit longer than some visitor SIM cards let you use them. A pocket wifi device will likely come with a microUSB charging port, USB charging cable and USB-compatible AC adapter in the package. You might get 8-10 hours' use per day if on all the time, and ￥6,750 for one month is not the worst price I've seen. Unless you are out and about from dawn 'til dusk and need internet at every second, you'll be fine. If you go the pocket wifi route, I'd say go with LTE. Yes, there's a data limit, but unless you literally need to watch movies or see funny cat .gifs every hour of the day you'll appreciate phenomenal LTE coverage anywhere actually populated (even in the subways!). It will service you well for maps and any phone translation tools. A lot of hotels do have WiFi, even if it's a bit spotty, so you can rest easy there. Some cities even have municipal wifi that's started not sucking badly*! In short: an LTE pocket WiFi device, if the cost is no problem, is a fine idea. The battery won't last indefinitely but it will probably serve your needs just fine. * Kyoto recently introduced "city-wide" Wifi that doesn't need an email address to log in. Not the best coverage, but it's still nice.
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2015 13:13
|
|
|
Now that I remember what I actually came here to post... I was using the b-mobile Free Data plan until a few days ago, when I found out that their SIM card is no longer sold in stores under that brand. Instead, they sell a new one: b-mobile SIM 高速定額. It has four monthly plan options, all high-speed, all 5-month contracts:
It's still LTE service on NTT Docomo's network, still has that small bit of lag that comes with being an MVNO... but I was able to switch to plans on b-mobile's website in a few clicks and had it working the next day. I'm stoked! For my usage patterns, the highest-priced plan is still a discount. Assuming they don't pull any last-minute tricks on me, I would recommend this for being the most straightforward, best-priced LTE data SIM card from an honest company, for anyone with an unlocked supported cell phone living in Japan at least 5 months. If you're coming from the USA, though, getting a compatible cell phone will be the challenge without buying another. Anaxite fucked around with this message at 13:38 on Mar 1, 2015 |
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2015 13:32
|
|
|
Anaxite posted:a bunch of useful info Thank you, super appreciated! That largely jives with how I've been leaning (LTE pocket wifi + occasional hotel wifi), which is great to hear.
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2015 18:37
|
|
|
Help! I arrived in Tokyo today, expecting my portable wifi to be in the mail, but it's not there and I'm getting out of Tokyo tomorrow at noon so I can't wait here for a redelivery. Anyone can recommend a shop I can rush to in the morning to buy portable wifi or a data sim card? I don't need a phone number.
|
|
#
?
Mar 26, 2015 15:41
|
|
|
A big department store like Yodobashi Camera will have SIM cards and other cell phone things. They might also have pocket WiFi devices.
|
|
#
?
Mar 26, 2015 16:01
|
|
|
^^^^^ those are almost guaranteed going to require longer term data plans and more "for people who live here" versus "people visiting here." Maybe pairing a pocket wifi with a rented SIM, but I know absolutely nothing about those.basch posted:Help! I think there's a lot of that stuff out at Haneda, so it might be an option? I'm not sure how much is available without a reservation in advance. Are you staying at a hotel? What do you mean, "expecting it to be in the mail and it's not there"?
|
|
#
?
Mar 26, 2015 16:03
|
|
|
I'm staying at an airbnb apartment, so I had its address put down for delivery. And I did clear it with the host beforehand, but it wasn't in the mailbox when I arrived  the mailbox isn't frequently cleared, so it was full of spam and maybe the package didn't fit, or it plain didn't arrive - I can't tell because the company (eConnect Japan) doesn't send notices on successful delivery.
|
|
#
?
Mar 26, 2015 16:13
|
|
|
harperdc posted:^^^^^ those are almost guaranteed going to require longer term data plans and more "for people who live here" versus "people visiting here." Maybe pairing a pocket wifi with a rented SIM, but I know absolutely nothing about those. I was at a Yodobashi store yesterday and saw that they now stock visitor data SIMs. Maybe it's store-dependent?
|
|
#
?
Mar 26, 2015 16:41
|
|
|
I'm going with family to Japan in May and am trying to scout out my options. There are 5 of us, and we're gonna be there for 2 weeks travling around between Tokyo, Kyoto, and a few other spots. A hotspot is a problematic solution in case we decide to split up, and I don't know if those are things you can just take around between cities. We need to be able to call each other, as well use data for maps and translation. Verizon's website is poo poo for browsing international roaming options. Anyone have suggestions?
|
|
#
?
Mar 26, 2015 17:42
|
|
|
basch posted:Help! This place says they have a store in/near Akihabara: http://en.wifi-rental-store.jp/
|
|
#
?
Mar 26, 2015 21:04
|
|
|
mango sentinel posted:I'm going with family to Japan in May and am trying to scout out my options. There are 5 of us, and we're gonna be there for 2 weeks travling around between Tokyo, Kyoto, and a few other spots. A hotspot is a problematic solution in case we decide to split up, and I don't know if those are things you can just take around between cities. We need to be able to call each other, as well use data for maps and translation. Verizon's website is poo poo for browsing international roaming options. Anyone have suggestions? Two pocket wifis?  Otherwise rental SIMs all around! And also do things like use Skype or other VOIP software for the calls instead (Japanese-centric app LINE is perfect for this).Also, if you have iOS and can afford a 700mb app on your phone, the app Imiwa is great as a dictionary, but honestly it's gonna be tough to use anything for translation. And in any case, there's plenty of English signage in the touristy places to get around, and most restaurants I've ever been in will have enough English to get by. harperdc fucked around with this message at 23:27 on Mar 26, 2015 |
|
#
?
Mar 26, 2015 23:24
|
|
|
Anaxite posted:I was at a Yodobashi store yesterday and saw that they now stock visitor data SIMs. Maybe it's store-dependent? Do you remember which store? I'm heading to Akihabara today.
|
|
#
?
Mar 27, 2015 01:22
|
|
|
Unfortunately it wasn't in Tokyo; you might be up to luck of the draw
|
|
#
?
Mar 27, 2015 02:56
|
|
|
So I was checking out Yodobashi at Shinjuku and they do have sim cards for visitors, but I didn't actually buy one because nearby Y!Mobile rents out mobile wifi. If anyone's ever unlucky enough to be in my situation though it's worth checking out both options to compare. Thanks for the advice everyone
|
|
#
?
Mar 27, 2015 15:52
|
|
|
I finally need to bow to the reality that I need a smartphone; aside from my 4-year-old Aquos Shot 002SH literally falling apart due to wear and tear (still chugs along, though, no drop ever cracked the screen, though the accumulated damage to this thing is hilarious), I have a laptop now that I need a tethering connection for. I'm on Softbank so, assuming my visa renewal that I pick up tomorrow ends up being longer than a year, which of these three smartphones would be the best option? e: I don't want an iphone
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2015 13:19
|
|
|
Navaash posted:I'm on Softbank so, assuming my visa renewal that I pick up tomorrow ends up being longer than a year, which of these three smartphones would be the best option?
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2015 14:00
|
|
|
If at all possible, wait until May 1st, since handsets sold after this date will be subject to new regulations requiring carriers to unlock the phone if requested. The law won't apply to phones sold before this date. For that matter screw Softbank altogether, especially if you don't owe any money on your current phone. Rakuten Mobile for example has 10GB per month, includes tethering, for 2960 yen. Hopefully I will get a chance to revisit the OP some time soon. Lots of new options already available and several more on the horizon. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 14:43 on Mar 31, 2015 |
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2015 14:40
|
|
|
Well, Softbank currently has a promotion going where if you have a flip phone you can exchange it for a smartphone for free. I need to check the conditions, though, and see if I'm eligible (Xperia seems to be included in the promotion based on glancing at a kiosk for a couple of minutes). Noted on the May 1st thing. This becomes doubly relevant now because my visa renewal ended up being only 1 year. Again. gently caress
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2015 04:15
|
|
|
If your income allows it, why not just find out if you can't put the phone on a "pay off in a year" plan. Docomo let me do that no problem.
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2015 11:43
|
|
|
zmcnulty posted:If at all possible, wait until May 1st, since handsets sold after this date will be subject to new regulations requiring carriers to unlock the phone if requested. The law won't apply to phones sold before this date. This Rakuten Mobile thing looks pretty good, I'm pissed that the big carriers are going the limited data plan route these days and was looking at b-mobile which is around 3000yen for unlimited data, but 10GB from Rakuten would also probably be enough. I'd probably just buy an unlocked iPhone 6 plus from Apple in September and use a sim from one of those. Is there any kind of data for speeds or other statistics on b-mobile vs. Rakuten?
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2015 14:03
|
|
|
Smartphones ruined unlimited plans. Carriers could handle the network load back when almost everyone was on a clam phone, but now that everyone has a smartphone and can stream 720p video from youtube; the shits gotten expensive. I think the only thing thats helped is that most carriers have started deploying free wifi hotspots all over the place that people can use.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2015 21:06
|
|
|
zmcnulty posted:If at all possible, wait until May 1st, since handsets sold after this date will be subject to new regulations requiring carriers to unlock the phone if requested. The law won't apply to phones sold before this date. I have a friend in Japan that isn't super technically savvy and needs to get a SIM card for one year max. I usually suggest b-mobile's free data, but she actually needs minutes so she can call family. She's also got a pretty low budget, somewhere between 3000-4000yen (after taxes). I'm a little out of my element here and she needs some sort of phone service before Monday (Japanese time zone). She has an iPhone 5S. Would the Rakuten Mobile option you mentioned above be suitable? I can't really guide her through the process as I haven't used it myself.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2015 08:36
|
|
|
Tea.EarlGrey.Hot. posted:I have a friend in Japan that isn't super technically savvy and needs to get a SIM card for one year max. I usually suggest b-mobile's free data, but she actually needs minutes so she can call family. She's also got a pretty low budget, somewhere between 3000-4000yen (after taxes). I'm a little out of my element here and she needs some sort of phone service before Monday (Japanese time zone). She has an iPhone 5S. b-mobile's SIM cards do include calling features, but you don't automatically get minutes. Rather, you pay for calling and the price isn't great from a cell phone. Where is her family located? I think international calling is going to be expensive with any plan. The best bet might be getting a data SIM and calling from a Skype subscription/Google Hangouts/whatever other fancy VoIP service. Anaxite fucked around with this message at 12:14 on Apr 3, 2015 |
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2015 12:08
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 30, 2024 16:52 |
|
|
Have her get in touch with this guy http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3707512&perpage=40&pagenumber=4#post443588416
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2015 12:23
|
|
