does japan moto razr work in states?

[alphanumeric]

http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/product/foma/702i/m702is/index.html

also, i can't make out what it's saying about the card... is it a sim card? can i just run it through unlocker and pop in a US sim?

[FG Lurker]

Assuming you can get it unlocked you should be able to use it anywhere that supports W-CDMA.

Don't assume you can get it unlocked though. Generally each carrier has their own locking system and sometimes the Japan phones are not unlockable even though the US ones are. I don't know how big a problem this is with Docomo, but I know with Vodafone (and I guess now Softbank) unlocking can be a PITA.

[Kuang_Grade]

from the phone's instruction booklet dealing with using the phone overseas...It talks about inserting a UIM that is linked to DoCoMo's world wing service
http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/binary/pdf/support/manual/foma/m702is/M702iS_E_18.pdf

here's to download the whole manual
http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/binary/pdf/support/manual/foma/m702is/M702iS_E_All.pdf

But then this page makes it seem like you don't have to do anything
http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/service/world/roaming/outline/index.html

If you just going to jam a US SIM into it, why not just buy a US prepaid phone...T mobile's US site is selling slightly clunky moto prepaid clamshell for $40 plus a free $25 card

[alphanumeric]

yeah i finally dug up the manuals myself last night too. so, here's what it's come down to: the 702iG is the only one GSM compatible, and yes, it can be unlocked. the problem is, given that there are euro versions out there, almost no one cares about this phone outside japan (or i, suppose, few in-country either), the unlockers are exceptionally hard to come by. a search on ebay's completed items shows i JUST missed an unlocked one. yahoo auctions doesn't mention anything about unlocking. but i am hearing whispers across the internet of small shops in ikebukuro and shinjuku unlocking this one.

i can get the phone off yahoo for about 4000 yen.... but i'm not in japan to go scouting for an unlocker, and my wife sure as hell isn't up for it. does anyone know anyone that might be able to pull this off?

[alphanumeric]

as for why not rent? the goal here is to have a japanese capable phone here, stateside. i know kddi mobile has the "katana," but damn those things are uglier than the razr...