Comments on: In Japan, iPhones are now free

By: kanagawa-ken

kanagawa-ken — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:32:52 +0000

hello am looking for free ipod or iphone in japan

By: your mom ball flap canada

your mom ball flap canada — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:07:59 +0000

there are two number 6's in that list

ex ped: So there are. Go figure.

By: Gideon, Kashiwa, Japan

Gideon, Kashiwa, Japan — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 13:56:05 +0000

I will admit now that I use and love my iPhone. Free calls between Softbank users before 9- my girlfriend being the one I call mostly being Softbank- has made Softbank the first time I have actually used my phone as more than a messaging device. All the apps and funcyionality may not be exactly new, but the implementation is so much more usable as to breath life into the world of smart-phones.

Yet the fly in the ointment is the inflated data fees here. Even this new data plan is ridiculously expensive, unless you just use the minimum (which is next to impossible, as it keeps connecting to 3G and charges by miniscule 'packets' that quickly add up). The solution I have found is to turn off data usage except when on a Wi-Fi network. Try this link to email yourself a file (made legitimately with Apple software), to do just that-

http://brent.kearneys.ca/2008/07/21/iphone-20-how-to-disable-cellular-internet-access/

By: jeff, Fukuoka, Japan

jeff, Fukuoka, Japan — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 12:08:16 +0000

Picked one up yesterday. It seems like theyre trying to make their money on phone service, and in fact you're obligated to take the "double white" plan, plus an "i option" that boosts your bill to $70 a month off the bat, pre calls. But the salesperson finally whispered to me that I could switch to basic service the day after activation. The next salesperson tried to keep adding stuff, but I beat them down to about $50 a month. I plan to use the iphone for data only. Meanwhile, I've cancelled my data plan on my regular cell. In the end it only works out to $7 more a month than I was paying anyway, and I got a free iphone for giving softbank my data business.

By: Texas

Texas — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:22:43 +0000

At&t LEARN…If they give me the iphone free I sign the 2 year contract.

By: Clement, Fremont, CA

Clement, Fremont, CA — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 22:56:11 +0000

iPhone again is about ease of use not in technical achievement. Any Japanese cell phones are powerful enough than the flagship from Nokia N97.

I had used Japanese 3G phone back in 2004 with 2 mega pixel optical zoom by Sharp. It wasn't that impressive as the CPU was slow, bluetooth kept disconnecting, software was not flexible and not a standard operating system.

Japanese phones are powerful yet not as user friendly in terms of Interface and sometimes sluggish controls.

By: Derek, Maple Grove, MN

Derek, Maple Grove, MN — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:19:11 +0000

Jack you fail to mention HTC touch cost $700 and doesn't do 3g in US.

By: jim, texas, Houston

jim, texas, Houston — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:32:30 +0000

it ain't free, you are locked into a two year contract.

By: Dan San Modesto CA

Dan San Modesto CA — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:34:30 +0000

i think that is so true

By: trent, tokyo

trent, tokyo — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:50:11 +0000

The iphone seems to be useful in japan only to foreigners and foreign-obsessed japanese. if you can read japanese and understand the marketing, you would know that the entire internet has been at your fingers for years in Japan. While the rest of the world marvels at the Iphone, we in Japan just say "been there, seen that" And about 5 years ago, at that.