Job Discussion Forums

[wayne432]

So currently I have an old softbank prepaid, but I'm planning on buying a new cell phone very shortly. I'm just trying to gather people's opinions. Most of my Japanese friends swear by their own carriers (for no real reason other than that it's theirs), but they know absolutely nothing about any opposing carriers.

So I thought I'd throw down what I know and see if people can help out with info and their thoughts on which carrier to go with.

Buying the actual cell phone:
au: You can buy very cheap 1 yen cell phones that are quite decent

Softbank: If you trade in an old (Softbank only?) phone, you can get a discount on your new phone.

docomo: Had some deals on some expensive models (40,000 range) that were discounted to less than 10,000.

The actual plans, etc:
From what I learned, it can be pretty much the same across the board. It depends on how smartly you use your phone.

Keep in mind, that all my searching was done at one store, and it could vary depending on where you go and if you go to an actual company store/kiosk.

[gaijinalways]

Au is still the cheapest from what I understand. My wife and I switched to Docomo recently because we found Softbank's service to　be very poor.
Softbank has the best signal and coverage overseas, the poorest in Japan (the signal is 1/2 as strong as Au and Docmo's). Au didn't use to have overseas overage, and currently you still need to change your sim card, but you can do this only at Narita before you exit the country. I heard they are coming out with a newer international model that will solve this problem. Docomo has the best signal and coverage domestically, pretty good internationally. Docomo also has the best and largest selection of models, followed by Au, with Softbank bringing up the rear (though they have the Iphone now if you have the cash).

[Apsara]

I'm pretty happy with AU, although Docomo has the cooler phones. I only pay around �3,600 per month for lots of talking hours, emails, unlimited internet connection and a Japanese dictionary download- I can't remember how many hours I have but I haven't yet managed to go over the limit and been charged for more.

It does seem to be pretty expensive to change phones with AU, especially for the latest models.

The coverage is good, and I often have coverage where my friends with Softbank phones are out of range.

[southofreality]

I, and most of my friends, use Softbank. I'm on the White Plan (￥980/month) and we can call each other (or any other Softbank customers) for free any time excluding within a 4-hour window (9pm - 1am).

Even if you select a top-of-the-line phone (iPhone excluded), you should be able to keep your monthly payments at or under ￥5000.

[wayne432]

Well I checked out all of them again now. I misunderstood the Softbank phone process, so they really do have the most expensive phones.

au has the cheapest phones, but they are really ugly. I think I'm going to end up with Docomo.

I took a look at all the different options that companies offer. In the end, if you manage how much you use compared to what you pay for, all the companies will be about the same price. So it's really about buying the new phones.

Softbank has the glitziest and most expensive phones. Docomo is next, with discounts on some nice-looking phones. To me, au's phones are pretty ugly, but that's just me.

If you are part of Softbank and you trade in your phone, then you can get a discount. For example, if you have a phone for 2 years, you can trade in for 80,000 yen phone and get it for like 10-20,000, A lot of phones become free... the discount varies depending on how long you have had your current phone.

Keep in mind that all my information is from shopping at a certain store, so I'm not sure if it holds up compared to if you walk into the store/kiosk of the actual company.

[gaijinalways]

No, that sounds right for Sotbank. We were with them originally when they were Vodaphone (they were the first company in Japan to offer international models), and they had similar calling plans in place then.

We had gotten a few of last year's models for 100 yen or less for two renewals, but the last model we got with them before we switched was about 13,000 yen (annoyingly, if you didn't mind changing your number and canceling your first contract with them, you could get the same phone for about 2,500).

We have all the bells and whistles, most of which I don't use; TV phone, textmail (well, receiving only) and i-mode Internet which I have used to check the weather, but I find it irritatingly slow.

As to the 'white plan', all of the companies have some kind of 'family plan' which will often be free or cheaper for people with the same provider. Mine at Docomo has free calls to people in my family, and reduced calling rates to other Docomo users.

[johnyuehan]

I will never get a DoCoMo phone & discourage others from doing so for this reason: NTT's internet services are horribly slow! I've been waiting 3 months for NTT to give me an ADSL internet connection at my house, yet they say they can't because they claim the circuits for ADSL are full in my area. The fiber optic internet connections won't reach my area for maybe 2 more years, they say - currently fiber optic lines stop about 2 or 3 km. from my house. Other friends have had to wait 5 months to get new internet connections set up at their apartments or houses. With service this bad, why give them any more money by getting their cell ph. service? I certainly won't.

[khusam]

I have an AU phone now, and I like the styling. Fairly limited choice in the 1 yen 'bilingual' and international department, though. (Mine doesn't have English past the main screens, and no English manual.) It is supposed to work overseas by changing the mode. We'll see about that. Coverage.. I couldn't get any signal in Atami.

[Lyrajean]

I have a docomo phone. Where I am on Okinawa most people I know have AU, becuase they are about the only one with good outer (remote) island coverage. I'm on Okinawa honto and outer island hopping doesn't interest me so much. Also all of docomo's phones are bilingual, but they switch back and forth real easy for simple things like texting in Japanese.

It runs me about 2700yen per month but I'm a low user.

The only thing I can't fathom is why (if they are indeed just NTT) they can't combine my NTT bill for my landline (ADSL) with my mobile bill.

[wayne432]

They are NTT (NTT Docomo is the official name).
Not sure about the internet either, my friend has au and they combine it I believe.

From what I checked, pretty much all the latest phones of any of the big 3 are bilingual. So unless you buy a 0 or 1 yen phone when you sign up for au, you'll have both.