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3G iPhone in Japan?

MMS setup

Sorry guys, could anyone help with this? How did you find out your initial @softbank.ne.jp address?

I went to MySoftbank and clicked on the MMS link, but it's asking for my phone number and some password that seems to be different from my normal MySoftbank password. Which password are they looking for?

Also, once it's all setup, will we receive mails to softbank.ne.jp to our Messages icon?

Sorry for the lame questions... I've never had to setup an account like this before.
 
thewhitehart said:
MMS, by the way, is working too. iPhones now have a softbank.ne.jp MMS address in addition to the IMAP i.softbank.jp one. However it's one of those random messy default addresses. I assume they'll let us assign an alias tomorrow via their website when 3.0 is publically released.
Click to expand...

How do we know what the random softbank.ne.jp email is?
 
Just go bk from Softbank/sando store.

My 2 years contract is up today, so even though I've been on VF/SB for over 4 years, I have to pay an upgrade subscription fee (2000en) and an extra 300en a month for the new handset.
new contract pays 3000en to subscribe, and 300yen/month less for the handset. :confused: mind you my contract has expired this month.
guess new customers are valued higher than current.
Ill be canceling my phone and jumping on with a new number i suppose.

Ohh by the way, to make a reservation, you need to give them your bankcard/credit card so they can swipe that and get your details now....JUST TO MAKE A RESERVATION

Here's what i was given today.
IMG_2448.JPG

IMG_2447.JPG
 
tethering

Anybody get tethering to work? I followed the procedure outlined here. There were two profiles for SoftBank Japan. With the first, the tethering option appeared but when I clicked on it I got a popup that said, "to enable tethering contact SoftBank". The second profile did not activate the tethering option at all.

There are, of course, other options for tethering but I was hoping to use the new built-in one. Oh well, maybe somebody will figure it out eventually.
 
gkanai said:
How do we know what the random softbank.ne.jp email is?
Click to expand...

I found out by just sending an MMS to my i.softbank.jp address from the Messages application. When I received the MMS at the i.softbank.jp address, it was from a random string@softbank.ne.jp address.

So I logged into My Softbank on the advice of mavis, and it had an option for changing the random string address.

Now you can do this from the iPhone itself. Just log into My Softbank (there should be a link in your bookmarks if you didn't delete it, or go to ipn.yahoo.jp and there will be an icon for My Softbank there).

There's an option there for changing your softbank.ne.jp address. You can even view the page in English via a little link in the upper right hand corner of the page.

Originally posted by ajmiyazaki
I went to MySoftbank and clicked on the MMS link, but it's asking for my phone number and some password that seems to be different from my normal MySoftbank password. Which password are they looking for?

Also, once it's all setup, will we receive mails to softbank.ne.jp to our Messages icon?
Click to expand...

The password they're looking for is one you won't know yet. I was confused too. Turns out it's a random password they assigned to your new softbank.ne.jp address. There's a "Forgot Your Password" link that I clicked, and they sent an SMS to my phone number with the password.

By the way, if you're setting up My Softbank for the first time, you have to provide your phone number and a four digit pin that you made up when you signed your Softbank contract, then you'll receive an SMS with your password for My Softbank. Is that the password you mean?

And yes, once it's all set up, you will receive @softbank.ne.jp messages in the Messages application.
 
crayonshin said:
Anybody get tethering to work? I followed the procedure outlined here. There were two profiles for SoftBank Japan. With the first, the tethering option appeared but when I clicked on it I got a popup that said, "to enable tethering contact SoftBank". The second profile did not activate the tethering option at all.

There are, of course, other options for tethering but I was hoping to use the new built-in one. Oh well, maybe somebody will figure it out eventually.
Click to expand...

I got the same results as you... With the first option, I actually lost
my data connection over 3G. Panicked just a bit! Based on the link you provided, AT&T iPhone users are getting tethering to work. Suprising that SoftBank was on the ball for once. Too bad.
 
Lining up for the iPhone 3G S already...

Reservations that is. Around 200 people with nothing better to do were lined up to reserve their new iPhone 3G S at SoftBank's flagship store in Omotesando, Tokyo this morning (06/18/2009 JST). According to ITmedia, by the afternoon the lineup had dissipated.
Also, according to the SoftBank, the order you make your reservation is unrelated to the order that phones will be handed out.

Photo of the lineup outside the Omotesando store.
 

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funkdis said:
guess new customers are valued higher than current.
Click to expand...
Am I the only one who finds this absolutely ABSURD?

I pay SoftBank an average of Y15,000/month, in the past my bills averaged over Y30,000/month (tethering) and yet a brand new customer who hasn't paid SoftBank thousands of dollars over the years somehow qualifies for better pricing than I do. It just boggles the mind ...
 
mavis said:
Am I the only one who finds this absolutely ABSURD?

I pay SoftBank an average of Y15,000/month, in the past my bills averaged over Y30,000/month (tethering) and yet a brand new customer who hasn't paid SoftBank thousands of dollars over the years somehow qualifies for better pricing than I do. It just boggles the mind ...
Click to expand...

I think theres an explanation for this in terms of business strategy..
Competition between mobile carriers is very high, and new customers are more valuable to carriers because it increases their market share while taking away competitors market share.
 
BigPimpn said:
I have updated my iPhone to 3.0 and have found a way to activate tethering from this site: http://w00kie.com/2009/06/18/activate-tethering-on-softbank-iphone/. Tethering works fine when connected to my computer via the USB cable. I still can't figure out how to make it work via Bluetooth.

Here is my question. When I use tethering, will the data usage be covered by my unlimited data packet plan?
Click to expand...

This 100% works! Thanks for sharing a way to get tethering to work on the iphone in Japan!

I'd be careful with this though... I'm very sure SoftBank can monitor activity on their network and could come after you. I think they've stated that they will NOT support tethering with the iphone. Any data transmitted via tethering wouldn't be covered. Have you seen the data charges on your online bill before the unlimited data discount is applied? Mine is like ¥300000!! I wouldn't want Softbank's Otosan coming after me with a bill like that. Haha.
 
ajmiyazaki said:
I'm very sure SoftBank can monitor activity on their network and could come after you. I think they've stated that they will NOT support tethering with the iphone.
Click to expand...

But I wonder, I suppose using IP addresses, whether they can distinguish a little light tethering--say a couple e-mail exchanges a day and sending files once in a while--from "normal" iPhone usage:confused:. My guess is that they'll find a way to tack on a tethering charge and enforce it as much as they can.
 
thewhitehart said:
The password they're looking for is one you won't know yet. I was confused too. Turns out it's a random password they assigned to your new softbank.ne.jp address. There's a "Forgot Your Password" link that I clicked, and they sent an SMS to my phone number with the password.
Click to expand...

Thank you thewhitehart! Got this up and running. Still, I wonder how much I'll use it... There isn't much privacy via messaging (is there a way to control messages from auto-displaying even when locked). i.softbank.jp offers more functionality. docomo provided emoji support just in time!
 
ajmiyazaki said:
This 100% works! Thanks for sharing a way to get tethering to work on the iphone in Japan!

I'd be careful with this though... I'm very sure SoftBank can monitor activity on their network and could come after you. I think they've stated that they will NOT support tethering with the iphone. Any data transmitted via tethering wouldn't be covered. Have you seen the data charges on your online bill before the unlimited data discount is applied? Mine is like ¥300000!! I wouldn't want Softbank's Otosan coming after me with a bill like that. Haha.
Click to expand...

I don't plan on using tethering that much. I rarely take my MBP anywhere, and when I do, there always seems to be some type of wireles available. Besides, as good as tethering is, Softbank's coverage/connections aren't the most reliable.

Although Softbank will not support tethering, is it "wrong" for us to use it? Tethering functionality has been available for Jail Broken iPhones for a while now. There are several apps that allow tethering. My friend has been using PdaNet for several months now, and Softbank hasn't said anything about it...yet.
 
Tethering - make/receive calls at the same time?

Simple question re tethering. For those of you that have done tethering while jailbroken, were you able to make and receive phone calls while connected?
And, with 3.0, any difference (making/receiving calls)?
 
shobe348 said:
I think theres an explanation for this in terms of business strategy..
Competition between mobile carriers is very high, and new customers are more valuable to carriers because it increases their market share while taking away competitors market share.
Click to expand...
I guess it's too bad that DoCoMo doesn't carry the iPhone, then. I would probably just switch (MNP) carriers every year.
 
Horror SOFTBANK BILL!

I have just been relocated to Japan for a new job. First day on the job i was given a softbank phone so i take the sim out and put it in my yellowsn0w unlocked iphone, works no problem.

Absolutely fantastic, i can get all the maps and find my way around yokohama and tokyo no problem. I reset the data transmission and after a month i have up and downloaded about 50mb of data. The other day my secretary comes to me with a bit of a look on her face, she has just received the first bill and mine is a little higher than everyone elses! about 189000 yen higher! Thats about 1900 USD!

That’s not the best of it, she came to me on the 16th of the month and by then i had already used 150mb for month 2. She phoned softbank and they said my 2nd month bill was currently 170000yen (USD 1700). So great i get a 3600USD bill for downloading a few maps and sending a few mails. The second month i started using the VOIP for skype so initially i thought that softbank had cottoned onto this however looking back it doesn't explain the ultra high bill for the first month which was categorically emails and a few maps.

Softbank tell me what i was downloading was not in the price plan or something like that! As far as i am concerned they are all gangsters and can’t be trusted! The bill seems completely arbitrary and there is no reason why it couldn’t have been 13600USD! They seem to be pulling figures out of thin air.

And by the way this is all national use, no roaming or international call! So i have requested a fully itemized bill and i am waiting to see if there is any sort of watch dog utilities organization in Japan who is sympathetic to my case. Needless to say i am not that interested in staying in Japan or buying any mobile phone sim cards. I am still in such a rage i refuse to use any phone or sim card which a proving to be a little difficult. I am not sure what i am going to do once i calm down and decide i do actually need a phone.

My secretary got on the net and found the "unlimited price plan" soft bank did and tried to persuade them to back date this plan, they told her that this plan would not have helped me at all.......

IPHONE JAPAN WATCHOUT !
 
bbqq021 said:
I have just been relocated to Japan for a new job. First day on the job i was given a softbank phone so i take the sim out and put it in my yellowsn0w unlocked iphone, works no problem.
Click to expand...

This is probably a silly question, but why didn't you just copy the data from the iPhone you brought with you onto the Softbank phone your company gave you here?
 
bbqq021 said:
-typical SoftBank BS-
Click to expand...

Welcome to Japan. ;)

I hate to say this, but I wouldn't count on SoftBank working with you AT ALL in getting that bill down to something reasonable. To use the iPhone + data, you have to be on a smartphone plan. And since they don't backdate, you're basically screwed. :(

I've been dealing with J-Phone/Vodafone/SoftBank for seven years, and the experience you described doesn't surprise me in the least. That's why I mentally prepare myself to bend over and grab my ankles whenever it comes to dealing with them - at least if you're ready for it, it won't come as a total shock.
 
bbqq021 said:
I have just been relocated to Japan for a new job. SD! <snip expensive story>
Click to expand...
Welcome to Japan! :)

CanuckInJapan said:
This is probably a silly question, but why didn't you just copy the data from the iPhone you brought with you onto the Softbank phone your company gave you here?
Click to expand...
Good question.

And one that will probably come up at the OP's new business office.

mavis said:
I've been dealing with J-Phone/Vodafone/SoftBank for seven years, and the experience you described doesn't surprise me in the least. That's why I mentally prepare myself to bend over and grab my ankles whenever it comes to dealing with them - at least if you're ready for it, it won't come as a total shock.
Click to expand...
Once reason that I have been with DoCoMo for the past 16 or so years.

I've heard so many horror stories over the years where the other carriers can really sock it to you if you are not careful.

Of course DoCoMo just charges large fees up front to make up for it. :p

Curious. What has been the average monthly fee?
 
sushi said:
Curious. What has been the average monthly fee?
Click to expand...
Pre-iPhone? It used to be around Y30,000/month back when I was doing very light tethering, then I cut that out and it dropped to about Y10,000-15,000/month. Since I got the iPhone, the cost has increased a bit - since January I've averaged between Y13,000 and Y15,000. Of course, I'm on the old iPhone data rate (it's Y1,500 less per month now than it was at launch) so once I get the 3GS it should drop a little. But the reason it's so expensive is because the White Plan is absolutely horrible!! Sure, it's free to call other SB subscribers (during the day, anyway) but if you call anyone else, it's like Y40/minute!! It adds up pretty quick.

In any case, there is no longer an iPhone 'premium' with SoftBank - it costs just as much if you're using an iPhone as if you were using any other crap-tastic Japanese cookie-cutter phone.
 
mavis said:
Pre-iPhone? It used to be around Y30,000/month back when I was doing very light tethering, then I cut that out and it dropped to about Y10,000-15,000/month. Since I got the iPhone, the cost has increased a bit - since January I've averaged between Y13,000 and Y15,000. Of course, I'm on the old iPhone data rate (it's Y1,500 less per month now than it was at launch) so once I get the 3GS it should drop a little. But the reason it's so expensive is because the White Plan is absolutely horrible!! Sure, it's free to call other SB subscribers (during the day, anyway) but if you call anyone else, it's like Y40/minute!! It adds up pretty quick.

In any case, there is no longer an iPhone 'premium' with SoftBank - it costs just as much if you're using an iPhone as if you were using any other crap-tastic Japanese cookie-cutter phone.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Appreciate the information.

BTW, the SB to SB free calls reminds me of the time when cell phones first were available. If you wanted to talk to your friends, they had to have the same cell phone company/provider. So if I had DoCoMo and you had J-Phone, we couldn't talk to each other cell to cell. Thankfully, that has changed over the years.

Regarding the White Plan, you could always go with the Double White Plan. If you talk a lot, it would make sense. The break even point is around 47-48 minutes of talk time. And it makes a huge difference if you talk to many who are no SoftBank subscribers. Let's say you talk 120 minutes per month.

White Plan cost would be --> 980 + 120 x 42 = 6,020

Double White Plan cost would be --> 1980 + 120 x 21 = 4,500

In this case the DWP would save you 1,520 yen per month.

If you talk more, which I know many business individuals do, the difference becomes greater. For example, if you talk 240 minutes per month, you would save 4,040 yen per month.

Food for thought.

Again, thanks for the usage fee info.
 
Anyone using Beejive IM 3.0?* Are the new push notifications working properly for you?
For me, the alerts do not appear on the screen when the iPhone is sleeping. I only get a sound, the screen stays blank. I believe I have all the push settings set properly. I've talked to people outside of Japan and the feature works properly for them.

Did Softbank screw it up?

UPDATE: I deleted and re-installed Beejive and that seemed to fix it.
 
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