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

[chibaka]

So as of last May, the mobile phone companies were obliged by law to unlock phones or at least offer SIM unlocking service, has anyone actually tried?
I will change to MVNO as of next month as my phone was purchased unlocked, and I would like to convince my wife to eventually do the same. But, she has iphone 6 supplied by Softbank, and her options would be to buy another phone or unlock it.

I probably already know the answer, but is there a remote possibility that the big 3 providers here will actually offer customers what they want or are they still using the "models after 1st May" as cast in stone to refuse unlocking? Huge selection of MVNOs are available now, nearly all seem to be using Docomo network.

[TennoChinko]

I haven't done it myself but looking at it ...

Meanwhile this site is pretty informative:

http://www.kuropixel.com/switching-to-a-japanese-mvno/

[FG Lurker]

So as of last May, the mobile phone companies were obliged by law to unlock phones or at least offer SIM unlocking service, has anyone actually tried?

Whoa, really? Does that include the iPhone? I know Docomo was previously offering unlock to anyone willing to pay 3000yen+tax for it but that was with the exception of the iPhone. Has this changed?

[chibaka]

So as of last May, the mobile phone companies were obliged by law to unlock phones or at least offer SIM unlocking service, has anyone actually tried?

Whoa, really? Does that include the iPhone? I know Docomo was previously offering unlock to anyone willing to pay 3000yen+tax for it but that was with the exception of the iPhone. Has this changed?

Can't see why iphone would be subject to different rules, law is law (ok, ok, I know this is Japan). The problem I heard was, as usual, interpretation of the rule. Carrier says "any phone model" introduced after May 1st, not "any phone purchased" after May 1st. So, iPhone 7 would be automatically included, iPhone 6 which was introduced prior to that date would result in blank stares in the phone shop.
So basically I'd want to SIM unlock her phone, or the cost saving wouldn't be so attractive. It seems there are no MVNOs using the Softbank system which would be the easiest choice.

[FG Lurker]

Interesting. I totally missed this news when it came out. I'll be changing phones again later this year and unlocking policies will have some serious weight in the decision of which carrier to use.

[FG Lurker]

Also, you can see on this list the phones that Docomo was willing to unlock before the new law came into effect:
https://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/support/pro ... index.html

Although all modern iPhones are unlockable they refused to unlock any iPhone model. I suspect this is a big part of the reason why the law was changed to force unlocking rather than the previous "recommendation" or some such typically Japanaese BS.

[chibaka]

Also, you can see on this list the phones that Docomo was willing to unlock before the new law came into effect:
https://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/support/pro ... index.html

Although all modern iPhones are unlockable they refused to unlock any iPhone model. I suspect this is a big part of the reason why the law was changed to force unlocking rather than the previous "recommendation" or some such typically Japanaese BS.

Softbank do indeed have information....

Models that have been released since May 2015

Which means our iPhone 6 will be refused, 6S model was released after May. We can only ask but I for one will not hold my breath.
The procedure to unlock 6 is exactly the same as 6S as far as I know, just Softbank's willingness or otherwise to play ball.
http://faq.mb.softbank.jp/detail.aspx?c ... 524641493d