DS Forums

 
 

Mobile phone for Japan


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 22-07-2007, 18:18
pericom
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 5,039

Can anyone advise on a mobile that works in Japan (WCDMA) ?

The cheaper the better really as I have a GSM phone over here and would use the new phone exclusivley over there.

Also what SIM should I get to use over there.
pericom is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 22-07-2007, 18:23
Adam D
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: UK,
Posts: 4,939
i would just wait till your over and purchase one, everything is cheap over there anyway really.
Adam D is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22-07-2007, 18:48
pericom
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 5,039
i would just wait till your over and purchase one, everything is cheap over there anyway really.
No, thats the problem they are all contract phones - Pay-as-go was banned due to criminality.
pericom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22-07-2007, 19:29
Adam D
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: UK,
Posts: 4,939
So then how would you purchase a simcard that was able to use over there, from there? if it was banned?

You would have to use a uk one, could be quite costly
Adam D is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22-07-2007, 19:50
pericom
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 5,039
Roaming with a UK handset.
pericom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2007, 23:16
KatduGers
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 97
Hi, I have just been to Japan onholiday and have a friend who lives there. Your phone will not work there. Japan has its own mobile phone system which is not compatible with ANY other system in the world. You'll need to buy a new mobile when you get there.
Even when Japanese people leave Japan their mobiles do not work anywhere else in the world. In fact, at the airport in departures there are companies who rent mobiles to holidaying Japanese so they are in touch while abroad. It's quite bizarre.
KatduGers is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-08-2007, 01:56
Shaney
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 437
This is a very common issue and so plenty of mobile phone shops in Japan allow you to rent a mobile phone for use in the country. There are some websites that may be of some help to you:

http://www.softbank-rental.jp/ and http://roaming.nttdocomo.co.jp/index.html
Shaney is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-08-2007, 02:51
Quackers
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Staffordshire
Posts: 4,665
Well from what i can find out Japan do not have a GSM network, so you would need a 3G Handset, but they use the high speed version of 3G, WCDMA, so a phone such as the Nokia N95 supports WCDMA, as well as the UKs 3G UTMS.
Quackers is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-08-2007, 08:32
Finglonga
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Stafford.
Posts: 4,706
Over there even their basic phones are well ahead of our current main selling phones. They are at least a year in front of us.
Finglonga is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-08-2007, 09:13
Talizman
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: On a journey
Posts: 1,901
Japan only uses 3G so as long as it's 3G compatible you'll be fine.
Talizman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-08-2007, 20:14
Ugg
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 290
I'm not sure that "any 3G phone will work". I've not been there myself, but had a look around in response to a customer request a while back.

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache...ient=firefox-a

That's a US-centric discussion, but it looks to contain some useful info. The most common recommendation (as has been said already) was "rent one when you're over there".
Ugg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-08-2007, 19:58
mjb22
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: North East
Posts: 110
I've just returned from Japan and my Nokia N95 worked fine. Connected to their networks straight away and sent me a nice welcoming text.

All this stuff that people write about requiring a new phone puzzles me...
mjb22 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-08-2007, 20:24
Adam D
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: UK,
Posts: 4,939
I've just returned from Japan and my Nokia N95 worked fine. Connected to their networks straight away and sent me a nice welcoming text.

All this stuff that people write about requiring a new phone puzzles me...
Well maybe if you read the above posts...

Well from what i can find out Japan do not have a GSM network, so you would need a 3G Handset, but they use the high speed version of 3G, WCDMA, so a phone such as the Nokia N95 supports WCDMA, as well as the UKs 3G UTMS.
Adam D is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-08-2007, 20:28
jon41
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Manchester
Posts: 1,343
Your phone has to support WCDMA 2100 (3G) and have the roaming setup and apart from that there is no issue with it not working. Japan don't offer GSM services as already said in the thread.
jon41 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-08-2007, 21:08
mjb22
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: North East
Posts: 110
Well maybe if you read the above posts...
Thanks for your constructive response. All I was doing was relating my experience having just returned from Japan on Tuesday.

I won't ****ing bother from now on.
mjb22 is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 17:29.