iPhone 14 Pro Buying Iphone 13/14 Pro in Japan. Is it worth it?

[imASH]

Hello. I was wondering if it makes sense to purchase iPhone 13/14 Pro in Japan since I will be traveling there in a few weeks and would rather have a physical sim slot. I have a few questions:
1. Where would be the best place to buy it? I read some articles saying that Japan had the cheapest price for iPhones; yet it doesn't look like that upon checking on apple store website in Japan
2. Do their phones come with all necessary bands to work in the US? Any other differences like vocal shutter of the camera?
3. Can one expect to get a tax free purchase?

Thank you for you input!

 

[bob_zz123]

There is the vocal shutter of the camera, regardless of whether silent mode is on or off, and absolutely nothing you can do about it. You should be able to do tax free, in some stores you have to go to a "tax free counter" to reclaim your tax, in others they will just deduct it from the bill, in all cases you have to claim the tax refund on the day of purchase and surrender the receipt at the airport (they probably won't ask any questions).

I think the saving will probably come from the tax saving, otherwise I think Apple is pretty good at adjusting prices to keep them fairly standardised to the US$ (based on the local exchange rate). I'd say the Apple Store is probably your best bet, just because of the language barrier in places like Yodobashi. Bear in mind lots of stores in Japan do not include tax in the headline price.

 

[Fat_Guy]

Get it in Canada.


The same phone but with the sim tray and the same bands as the US except for one that, really, nobody uses in the States anyway. Plus, at least you have a warranty that may be a pain in the bum to use, but at least it’s there next door to the States, because Japan is too far away and too much hassle.



Good move if you travel!

 

[TorbenIbsen]

Think about warranty issues when you buy outside your own country.

 

[JPack]

Cheapest outside U.S. is Hong Kong due to no taxes. Everywhere else in the world, it’ll be more expensive.

 

[imASH]

Thank you so much everyone for the valuable info! I guess I will give up on the idea of buying in Japan.
Perhaps, will consider iphone 13pro instead as a temporary solution and see what happens with the next model.

 

[bingeciren]

There are other things to consider when buying a phone from another country.

1) Repairs and service. If the model number of the phone is not sold in your country, Apple may not service the phone, regardless of the warranty. I know it because my USA iPhone was not serviced for a simple battery change even with Apple Care+ because that model was not sold in my country.

2) Check the technical specifications for Cellular and Wireless. Some frequencies may be different or absent and may affect the performance or the service from your cell provider.