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Is the iPhone6s+ sold in Japan sim lock free?

I got mine from the Shibuya Apple Store but it's locked to docomo. They do sell "SIM Free" phones but since they're unsubsidized, they're significantly more expensive. That said, all iPhones sold in Japan, starting with the 6s/6s Plus, can now be unlocked after six months by simply telling the carrier you want it unlocked. They all charge a fee for this (3000円) but at least it can be done, finally!
 
mavis said:
I got mine from the Shibuya Apple Store but it's locked to docomo. They do sell "SIM Free" phones but since they're unsubsidized, they're significantly more expensive. That said, all iPhones sold in Japan, starting with the 6s/6s Plus, can now be unlocked after six months by simply telling the carrier you want it unlocked. They all charge a fee for this (3000円) but at least it can be done, finally!
Click to expand...

From some forums, it looked like they sold sim-lock free phones for a short period of time and then stopped. Now, it looks like they started selling such phones again but not sure. Yes, I know that docomo can unlock the phone after six month but I am not sure if I will stay in Japan for that long yet. I am now travelling HK where I can buy sim lock free phones. However, I won't be here long enough to test the phone for 14 days. I don't think I can buy it in HK and return the phone to Apple Japan within 14 days.
 
I bought the 6s plus on launch day at the Ginza store, SIM unlocked, and then signed up with an MVNO. The phone model is A1687. You can google the various models to confirm country band coverage.

Regarding an MVNO, I recommend the BIC Camera SIM which is provided by a company called IIJ. Data plans are cheap and coverage is good. It uses Docomo's network. You will need to sign up for a 1 year contract and pay a termination fee if you leave early but it wasn't outrageous from what I remember.

Regarding the big carriers, yes they subsidize the phone price but charge a lot more for their monthly data plan. If you do the math, it's quite a bit cheaper over 2 years to go the route I did.

Hope that helps.
 
Lomity said:
I bought the 6s plus on launch day at the Ginza store, SIM unlocked, and then signed up with an MVNO. The phone model is A1687. You can google the various models to confirm country band coverage.

Regarding an MVNO, I recommend the BIC Camera SIM which is provided by a company called IIJ. Data plans are cheap and coverage is good. It uses Docomo's network. You will need to sign up for a 1 year contract and pay a termination fee if you leave early but it wasn't outrageous from what I remember.

Regarding the big carriers, yes they subsidize the phone price but charge a lot more for their monthly data plan. If you do the math, it's quite a bit cheaper over 2 years to go the route I did.

Hope that helps.
Click to expand...

Thanks. If there is a band limitation even for sim lock free iPhone in Japan, is it better to buy in HK if I plan to use it in different countries including North America?
 
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