Unlocked SmartPhones for Japan

[Samurai_Jerk]

Carriers required to unlock phones

Japan's communications ministry is ordering mobile phone carriers to do away with the SIM locks that prevent phone users from changing carriers.

[wagyl]

And some commentary.

[Coligny]

Carriers required to unlock phones

Japan's communications ministry is ordering mobile phone carriers to do away with the SIM locks that prevent phone users from changing carriers.

Since the phone are no longer 1y/subsidized I thought it was de facto unlocked...

[chibaka]

It will be a long time before the phone market here is truly open. It would mean an end to price fixing, secret deals, jobs for the boys..... my money is on pigs flying first.

[Coligny]

You forgot illuminaties and lizard people...

[wagyl]

It will be a long time before the phone market here is truly open. It would mean an end to price fixing, secret deals, jobs for the boys..... my money is on pigs flying first.

By those standards, is the phone market truly open anywhere?

[chibaka]

By those standards, is the phone market truly open anywhere?

Don't know, been here too long. What I do know is unlocked phones are available in many countries as the norm, in fact by law. And I do know that the business practices here are shocking.

What if Toyota said you could buy their cars, but MUST use a specific brand of gas/tyre/oil....... that can't happen. So why are phone companies allowed to demand you use a phone bought from them to use their service? A phone which is locked and filled with bloatware, which they will not allow you to use on a different network even when traveling? Not Just Japan of course.

Subsidized phone excuse doesn't work, the fees are extortionate.

[Doctor Stop]

Carriers could simply raise rates, and then offer discounts or special "unlimited but not really unlimited" plans to only those who purchase their phones from them, or pay whatever extortionate transfer fees the carriers need to make up on the loss.

[Coligny]

Carriers could simply raise rates, and then offer discounts or special "unlimited but not really unlimited" plans to only those who purchase their phones from them, or pay whatever extortionate transfer fees the carriers need to make up on the loss.

Ok, another guy who forgot the "don't fucking give them even worse ideas" rule...

[chibaka]

He must be Softwank"s PR man

[Doctor Stop]

Or switch to some incompatible standard, like KDDI has.

[chibaka]

Finally

But I assume this means phones unlocked rather than SIM cards unlocked...

Japan's wireless carriers told to unlock phones from next May

TOKYO —
Japan’s wireless network providers are to lift restrictions on which network their subscribers can use, the government said, demanding that all smartphones and tablets to be sold with their SIM cards unlocked upon customers’ request starting next year.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said on Friday that all smartphones and tablets are to be sold with their SIM cards unlocked if customers ask for it and at no cost to users, from May 2015.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/tech ... m-next-may

[wagyl]

SIM lock appears to be a recognised but confusing way of describing the linking of a phone device to a network http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_lock so I think you are correct