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Softbank Japan and iPhone 3G (Merged Thread)
- Thread starter Podgy
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So Has anyone had any ideas on how to get around the mail lock/new address problem ??? The only thing that I can think of is using a web based service and asking your friends to send email there (but that defeats the purpose of having a cheaper plan because you'll have to browse the web and pay for it then)...
I went to Akihabara on Wednesday and I found a wireless service called "wireless gate" and its 380 yen a month ! it for use in restaurants etc etc and according to the lady at the u can use it on the ipod touch (and iphone too)...it sounds good !
www.wi-gate.net
I went to Akihabara on Wednesday and I found a wireless service called "wireless gate" and its 380 yen a month ! it for use in restaurants etc etc and according to the lady at the u can use it on the ipod touch (and iphone too)...it sounds good !
www.wi-gate.net
Just check the prices on their website
http://www.tripletgate.com/wirelessgate/price/
everymonth 210Yen plus 299Yen for one day service, so if you want to use it everyday, 210+30*299=9 180 Yen, what is the point? SoftBank DataPlan is 5500Yen and you have access everywhere not only hot spots
That's a really terrible (machine, by the looks of it) translation.
Here's a better one:"Because the iPhone 3G uses a special USIM, a customer cannot change their phone (or say, add a new one), without exchanging their USIM. Furthermore, you can't use the iPhone USIM on other phones."
The data pricing is surprisingly reasonable for Japan. I was expecting to pay something in the neighborhood of 一万円 (about $100) for a dedicated 3G pipe. So $60, plus $10 for the white plan and a $10-15 subsidy every month for the phone itself comes out to about $90 a month for the 16Gb model which is a lot more reasonable than a lot of phones, assuming you don't do a lot of calling every month. (And if you do, you could go Double White for $10 more and get a cheaper call rate and free calls all the time to other Softbank phones.)
I'm not sure how the iPhone handles mail but the preferences for the Mail app will be far more accessible than say, unlocking it to use it with normal SIM cards.
11th of July in Japan
So who's actually going to try and get an iPhone on the 11th?
Any idea how much chance there is of getting one at a Softbank shop?
Is it worth taking the day off for?
Podgy
So who's actually going to try and get an iPhone on the 11th?
Any idea how much chance there is of getting one at a Softbank shop?
Is it worth taking the day off for?
Podgy
So who's actually going to try and get an iPhone on the 11th?
Any idea how much chance there is of getting one at a Softbank shop?
Is it worth taking the day off for?
Podgy
I have a confirmed reservation (made on June 13th) for a black 16GB iPhone at the shop by my house, the manager has promised me (twice!) that he'd personally set aside an iPhone for me, and hold until I arrive at 1pm. So, yeah - I'm getting an iPhone on the 11th and I won't be taking the day off.
OTOH, this discussion belongs in the 'official' iPhone in Japan thread, you know, the one with like 30,000 views and six pages of replies ... ? Actually, I know you know about it, because you already crapped in that thread once. So on second thought, maybe it's best if you have your own thread to play in. Have fun!
haihaihai
My local softbank shop isnt taking reservations so Im taking the day off.
Funny how the both of us are here after both crapping in the official thread.
What fracking ever Mave
My local softbank shop isnt taking reservations so Im taking the day off.
Funny how the both of us are here after both crapping in the official thread.
What fracking ever Mave
Japanese iPhone: Lame
Softbank has an iPhone page up now. Among the highlights are:
1. Bandwidth throttling for certain apps — so far, Maps and YouTube. The wording suggests that as more apps become available, they'll be added to the list.
2. No MMS (we knew that).
3. No emoji or decore-mail (as we suspected). Messages that use these features may be "partially received".
4. SMS messages over 70 bytes might not be received by the recipient. (Normally, Japanese phones will automatically switch to MMS if necessary.)
Softbank has an iPhone page up now. Among the highlights are:
1. Bandwidth throttling for certain apps — so far, Maps and YouTube. The wording suggests that as more apps become available, they'll be added to the list.
2. No MMS (we knew that).
3. No emoji or decore-mail (as we suspected). Messages that use these features may be "partially received".
4. SMS messages over 70 bytes might not be received by the recipient. (Normally, Japanese phones will automatically switch to MMS if necessary.)
eh?
Can you expand on "Bandwidth throttling"?
I thought there was an unlimited data plan...
P.
Can you expand on "Bandwidth throttling"?
I thought there was an unlimited data plan...
P.
Data is theoretically unlimited, but Softbank will cap your download speed whenever you're using Google Maps or Youtube.
That doesn't sound to good. :\
Is there excitement over the iPhone there? I would think that there would be a plethora of phones that offer what the iPhone does (and more), considering how advanced everything is there so that would mean less demand for the iPhone... but idk.
Is there excitement over the iPhone there? I would think that there would be a plethora of phones that offer what the iPhone does (and more), considering how advanced everything is there so that would mean less demand for the iPhone... but idk.
Japanese phones have email addresses attached to their individual phones but I dont know about iPhone. Perhaps iPhone limitation ?
I will be in Japan in next month so I will pick one up from Japan as well. Hopefully they will have a nice selection cases.
Yes there is a lot of buzz about the iPhone here...
No. Please dont put words like "advanced" and "everything" in a sentence with Japan.
The phones here are bad. The UI is probably part of the reason people dont actually talk with their phones and just send messages.
Using a car analogy, all cars have the same primary function but what differs is the user experience. All and I mean ALL the phones here make you feel like your car has no windows, the seats are backwards and dashboard is
inside out...
Podgy
No. Please dont put words like "advanced" and "everything" in a sentence with Japan.
The phones here are bad. The UI is probably part of the reason people dont actually talk with their phones and just send messages.
Using a car analogy, all cars have the same primary function but what differs is the user experience. All and I mean ALL the phones here make you feel like your car has no windows, the seats are backwards and dashboard is
inside out...
Podgy
No, here's how it works. When you message someone on the same network, you use their phone number, and the phone (or the network) sends as either SMS or MMS, depending on the content (byte length, etc.). For users on another network, you send to an address that is formatted like an email address (and can receive email from PCs), but the message is sent on your end, and received on the other end, as MMS.
I think the iPhone faces certain obstacles, not because Japanese phones are better than the iPhone. The iPhone wins hands-down from the perspective of UI and design. However, the way Japanese people use their phones is 5-10 years ahead of the US; basically, where Steve Jobs envisions the iPhone eventually going — becoming an everyday computing platform — the cellphone already is in Japan.
Imagine if OS X and the Mac was just introduced today, and it was vastly superior to the Windows everyone was using, but didn't have Photoshop or Office or any other major apps. People would end up having to stick to Windows. That's the problem the iPhone faces in Japan — it's the best cell phone ever made, but it can't do all the things Japanese users need a cellphone to do.
And on top of everything else, it's absolutely ridiculous that if I send a message to someone that exceeds 70 bytes, they might just never receive it.
Isn't that true!
For those outside of Japan, many young Japanese do not have home computers nor regular telephones. They do everything on their cell phone -- including paying for their munchies/snacks from 7/11, Lawson, etc., paying train tolls and taxi fees. I have a buddy who bets on horse races via his phone. You can do just about anything with a cell phone it seems.
In this regard, the iPhone is way behind what is available in Japan. Where the iPhone is much better, is the user interface and overall usability. That much is certain. The 64 dollar question, will this be enough for folks to switch. All I can say, is of those who I knew who were very excited about the iPhone coming to Japan about 6 months ago, now are nonplussed and more than likely not get one. So instead of the excitement going up, it seems to be dissipating. Again, this is just an observation of those whom I know so it may be totally inaccurate of Japan as a whole.
Another interesting point in Japan, is the rate at which folks switch cell phones. I know some who change phones every 2-3 months. Some even switch providers each time they switch cell phones to take advantage of the discounts.
As for me, I am waiting to see how it all unfolds. I have a 32GB Touch which is fantastic in the interim.
Yep — and the phone company helpfully moves all your contacts and messages over to the new phone. Except with the iPhone, where you have to start from scratch.
The lost opportunity is unfortunate. It would not be a stretch to say that Apple could sell 50 million iPhones in Japan if it did everything people need combined with its awesome interface. Sadly, in basic areas like text messaging, it doesn't even measure up to the free phones you get with your Softbank white plan.
What about NFC (near field communication)? Isn't this very popular in Japan? Maybe with some other brand name though.
If people use NFC tech. & their phone to pay pretty much everything they buy, I would guess that downgrading to non-NFC iPhone is not an option.
If people use NFC tech. & their phone to pay pretty much everything they buy, I would guess that downgrading to non-NFC iPhone is not an option.
This may have been true in the past, but with Softbank's new "Super Happy Bonus" system, I think that's starting to change. Terminating a contract early results in HUGE fees (if you're twelve months in, you can expect to pay around a $500 ETF) and even if you pay that ETF, you still do not qualify for new customer pricing on a new handset (even when signing a new 27 month contract) ... I think Softbank is the only one so far with such an asinine policy, but it seems to be working for them - I wouldn't be surprised to see AU and DoCoMo pull something similar in the near future.