I know many US phones won't work over there due to differences in technology but does this apply to a non 3G i phone?
Japan - 2 Answers
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1 :
None of Non-3G phones will work in Japan because Japan (and South Korea) does not have even a single GSM carrier. Japan's 2G signal is not compatible with GSM. iPhone 2G will not work in Japan either because of the same reason. Besides, Japanese carriers will permanently phase-out all 2G signals at the end of March, 2010. However, ..... ＞I know many US phones won't work over there due to differences in technology This statement is not true any more since at least the end of 2008. Newer Verizon and Sprint 3G phones now work in Japan, which use the CDMA2000 technology and one of the frequencies, 800-850MHz band, overwraps with the Japan's AU's band. Just make sure that your Verizon or Sprint account is enabled for international calls. This setting is usually disabled at the initial activation. If not enabled, your phone will show "no signal" in Japan even though your hardware is compatible with the radio wave. (This applies to an AT&T account, too.) Of course, most Verizon and Sprint phones do not use SIM cards. So, you can not use Japanese SIM card (prepaid or postpaid) with their phones. AT&T's 3G (W-CDMA) phones should be compatible with NTT Docomo's FOMA Plus Area band (800-850MHz band), though not with the normal FOMA and Softbank bands (both use W-CDMA 2100MHz). AT&T's iPhone 3G/3Gs has an additional W-CDMA frequency which is compatible with 2100MHz. So, it works with Softbank radio wave if available, and Docomo FOMA Plus Area band elsewhere. Most AT&T's phones are SIM-locked for AT&T. So, unless unlocked, they do not work with Softbank's nor Docomo's SIM. The unlocked iPhone will work with Softbank or Docomo's SIM if you can ever get the SIM. There's a legal requirement (the proof of permanent Japanese address) to buy a prepaid or postpaid Japanese SIM. So, this is not an easy task for a traveller. You can still rent one at airports by showing your passport. T-Mobile phone probably will not work in Japan due to different W-CDMA frequencies it uses, but technologies and deployments can change quickly and you should check with the T-Mobile's customer service for current compatibility. I have also read on the net that some Japanese andoroid phone fanatics have bought the new Google's Nexus One's, which are intended to work with T-mobile in USA but are unlocked, and are using them with Docomo's SIMs and FOMA Plus Area band. (This is because Nexus One has a 800-850MHz band in addition to T-Mobile's band.) *** Call Charges comparison *** Sprint charges $1.99 per minutes for voice calls, both calling AND receiving, in Japan. It does not matter whether the calls are to a destination within Japan or to USA. AT&T's charge for voice calls in Japan are $2.29 per minutes, both calling AND receiving. Like Sprint, It does not matter whether the calls are to a destination within Japan or to USA. There's a discount international voice call plan called World Traveler Plan, which costs $5.99 per month. With the plan, the call charges are discounted to $1.69 per minute. I don't know about Verizon because I don't have a Verizon account. Softbank Prepaid (Premobile) SIM charges 9 Yen per 6 sec (which would amounts to 90 Yen per minute or about $1 per minute) for calls made to a destination within Japan. If my understanding is correct, there's additional international call charges of 39 Yen per 30 sec (78 Yen per minute or about $0.87 per minute) for calls to USA. Thus, the total cost of a call from a Softbank Prepaid phone to a USA number will be about $1.87 per minute. But, receiving calls are free. (This is the big difference.) If you don't have any phones compatible with Softbank's SIM, a phone will costs at least $40, depending on the model. The phone/SIM comes with 0 Yen call credit. The minimum charge for the prepaid card is 3000 Yen (about $27 as of today) and the phone number does not expire for 360 days even if the account becomes inactive. So, if you're going to make only a few short calls in Japan and you don't come back to Japan often, it may be cost-effective just to use your US 3G phone. This writing is as of Jan 19, 2010. Things could change in the future. I advise anyone who reads this in the future to obtain the most recent information elsewhere.
2 :
You are correct in assuming a non-3G iPhone doesn't work in Japan. You need a 3G or 3GS iPhone to use there either on roam or even with a Japanese carrier (Softbank). Otherwise you just have a glorified iPod Touch.
