OK so Im in Tokyo after a lot of drama (not related to job/visa or anything like that..more serious but hey). I want an Iphone4 but there are so many plans.. Whats the best? I want to make a few calls, text a lot, check my mails on the phone, use google maps etc.. I'm told a good way to do it is just get value plan with iphone 4 on softbank and get a portable wifi with with Softbank or use the very fast one docomo has.. so this http://mb.softbank.jp/en/products/data_com/c01hw.html + http://mb.softbank.jp/mb/iphone_en/price_plan/value_program/ or the value pack plus this http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/service/data/foma/index.html
You have to get an unlimited data plan with the iPhone if you want phone service. If you just want to use it as wi-fi then you need to buy it outright, it costs something like 80,000 yen.
Hi Shou You mean 800,000 yen right? To buy the iphone outright. I didn't know you had to get the unlimited data plan..
No, the phone is closer to $800, not $8,000. Thus, 80,000 yen. If you want to buy an 800,000 yen iPhone4, you're more than welcome to mine. Unless you have an unlocked iPhone 4 already, Docomo is out, so forget that. The unlimited plans in Japan are not like they are in the US. They are sliding. It's called Packet Houdai... if you don't use any data, it only runs you 1000 yen a month. If you download gay porn all day every day, it maxes at like 4800 yen. There are different levels you pay inbetween, but I've never bothered to figure out what they are. As for the voice, I think I have the White plan or something.
Hehehe yes mega exxy mobile Im told you'll easily go over 400mb a month? I probably would loading up all those images of maps! I'll see if i can get another sort of plan
What's not good with that packet hodai plan? max. 4800ens the month isn't the world, and all the internetz is yours, 24/7.
It's better for some people than the new plans in America, as they've stopped the whole unlimited thing. I'd like to see numbers on Japanese mobile infrastructure versus US. Japan has their perverted version of the idea of "online" where people generally do the majority of their email correspondence through their phone... or at least did, and my belief is this is still a large demographic. We can definitely blame NTT, anti-competitiveness, and the government being total assholes as the cause. Other downsides include 1) Everyone doing all their fucking banking through the ATM machine 2) Poorly designed forum software and shopping carts still rampant. 3) Japanese being utterly helpless at designing a web page Not sure how #3 works in there, but I'm sure it does. </soapbox>
UK had really good plans.. Unlimited internet, unlimited text and XXX amount of minutes free all networks. So simple...I miss those plans
I've been reading the comments in this thread and found my plan to be nothing like the above. I own a 3Gs which I bought early this year. The phone cost me nothing (16GB ver') but I do need to use it on a 2 year contract or pay the full vale of the phone. Anyway, my actual bill is only just over 5000 yen per month and this does include REAL unlimited use for net, mail, maps etc... I even use my 3Gs (IOS4.1) as a modem for my laptop thanks to the jailbreak yet Softbank don't give a shit or at least they don't say anything. Of course I don't do movie downloading with it. that would be silly and take too long anyway. When I get my bill it states how much bandwidth value you used. My last one was around 38'000 yen's worth. So basically I have the white plan for free Softbank to Softbank calls, free txt to all mobiles, unlimited net use (Band Width) and a free home Wi Fi hub to use Wi-Fi around the home which also works with any Wi-Fi equipped system. Oh, and you get a BB Mobile Wi-Fi number to use any of the free Wi-Fi spots around Japan. As I said though, I have the 3Gs and bought it earlier this year. It may have all changed when the iPhone 4 came out. Yakumo
My bandwidth "value" is often 150,000 yen at a minimum. lol Depending upon when you got the 3GS, the subsidized cost is different. Hard to believe your monthly cost of phone/voice/net usage is under 5000 unless you aren't using it much. When the 3G came out, the cost of the phone was part of the 2 year contract.
I mostly use WiFi to be honest. All calls and mails are included in the White Plan which basically means they are unlimited and "free". Calls to a DoCoMo or AU mobile will cost money however down here most people use SoftBank sk I hardly ever pay for a phone call. Also, in the plan I have the 3G data usage is unlimited. I've been with SoftBank for about 9 years since the company was called J-Phone. So that also helps sweeten the deal I guess. Oh, and my wife has SoftBank which is also a plus for getting a cheaper deal because you can then add the family plan savings. The only downside to my plan is that I'm stuck with this 3Gs for 2 years. It should keep me happy though until I cqn upgrade. Yakumo
