Feb 08, 2016

iPhone Carrier Options in Japan

Living in Japan can be difficult, but the internet has many resources to make things a bit easier and an iPhone or other smart phone can put those resources at your fingertips wherever you find yourself in Japan through a wide variety of standard or easily downloadable applications. The H&R Group recommends to its clients getting an iPhone or iPad to put those resources at your disposal!

To start  we will out line some basics.  The handset and monthly subscription (service) plans are both provided by the carrier. This means that when a mobile phone is purchased, a service plan is also provided. In order to proceed with an application, you must provide:

•         Valid Residence Card
•         Passport
•         Credit card

iPhone monthly subscription plans normally consist of :

•         Flat-rate data plan
•         Basic calling plan
•         SMS plan

In most cases, the cost of the handset is paid in installments over the course of the standard 24-month subscriber contract.

iPhone Carrier Options

With their multilingual support, app selection, and usability, most foreigners in Japan have iPhones and pay a hefty sum every month to use them. Around 2014 there was more than a bit of consternation caused by Softbank’s retirement of their long popular “White Plan.” Other carriers followed suit, removing their unlimited data plans and unveiling newer plans with data limits and unlimited calling.

The good news is that for many people, these new plans are comparable in price to the old ones and, for many may actually save them money. Here is a breakdown of the new data plans among the major carriers.

Softbank

Softbank is the most popular carrier among foreign residents of Japan because of its English support line, for reliably providing English-speaking staff in areas popular with foreigner residents.   As the original iPhone carrier in Japan, Softbank also has the most experience with the handset and the shop staff tends to be the most knowledgeable about the handset.

Pros:
+ Best English customer support
+ More efficient coverage under platinum band network
+ Free Calls between subscribers from 1:00 to 21:00
Cons:
– Platinum band not available in all areas
– All handsets tied to 24-month contract

Softbank iPhone Plans

Softbank	2GB Limit	5GB Limit	8GB Limit	10GB Limit	15GB Limit	20GB Limit	30GB Limit
Calling (unlimited)	2,700	2,700	2,700	2,700	2,700	2,700	2,700
Data	3,500	5,000	6,700	9,500	12,500	16,000	22,500
Network access	300	300	300	300	300	300	300
Monthly Total	6,500円	8,000円	9,700円	12,500円	15,500円	19,000円	25,500円

• Softbank Website for more information

Au

Au offers the most competitive pricing on iPhone service using seasonal pricing schemes . They tend to be the cheaper option for service, but disadvantages include far less experience with the handset, and the biggest disadvantage is that the reception with au is somewhat marginal.

Pros:
+ Competitive iPhone pricing schemes
+ Free Domestic Calls between subscribers from 1:00 and 21:00
Cons:
– Limited English support
– Marginal network coverage

– All handsets tied to 24-month contract

AU iPhone Plans

AU	2GB Limit	3GB Limit	5GB Limit	8GB Limit	10GB Limit	13GB Limit
Calling (unlimited)	2,700	2,700	2,700	2,700	2,700	2,700
Data	3,500	4,200	5,000	6,700	8,000	9,800
Network access	300	300	300	300	300	300
Monthly Total	6,500円	7,200円	8,000円	9,700円	11,000円	12,800円

• AU Website for more information

 

NTT Docomo

NTT Docomo is the original mobile carrier in Japan .  This long term brand recognition combined with an extremely reliability network make the company popular among the Japanese market.  iPhone service, however, began only in the fall of 2013, and doccomo is still behind compared to other carriers in terms of the iPhone specifically.  They are doing their best to make up for their lack of experience with competitive pricing plans, however.  Besides competitive pricing and best overall network, another big advantage for some users is an affordable, standalone SIM card plan for “unlocked” iPhone handsets purchased overseas, a service not offered by other providers (please be aware that not all overseas iPhones are compatible with the docomo network and there may be other restrictions).

• Pros:
  + Best overall network coverage
  + Calls between subscribers free all the time
  + SIM card plan for iPhones purchased overseas
  Cons:
  – English support limited to online assistance
  – Little experience with the iPhone

          – All handsets tied to 24-month contract

NTT Docomo iPhone Plans

Docomo	2GB Limit	5GB Limit	8GB Limit	10GB Limit(Shared)	15GB Limit(Shared)	20GB Limit(Shared)	30GB Limit(Shared)
Calling (unlimited)	2,700	2,700	2,700	2,700	2,700	2,700	2,700
Data	3,500	5,000	6,700	9,500	12,500	16,000	22,500
Network access	300	300	300	300	300	300	300
Share plan fee				500	500	500	500
Monthly Total	6,500円	8,000円	9,700円	13,000円	16,000円	19,500円	26,000円
Additional Contract (Shared data)				3,500円	3,500円	3,500円	3,500円

 

• Docomo Website for more information