Softbank 932SH a good choice?

[Billy]

I'm in the market for a new phone. I'm still using a phone that has Vodafone written on it for f*cks sake! I've been to Softbank a few times but I just can't seem to make up my mind. Too much to choose from. The 932SH looks decent but it's kind of expensive. Anyone have any thoughts?

[FG Lurker]

iPhone.



(But you might want to wait for the next one, likely announced next month.)

[wuchan]

iPhone.



(But you might want to wait for the next one, likely announced next month.)

I hate that thing.

The sh-04a and the balckberry bold both make the iPhone look like shit.

[Level3]

If you're smart enough to be considering your options, you're smart enough to not buy an iPhone. (or any other overpriced, underpowered Apple fad)

Don't be an iZombie.

BTW, haven't many gaijin had trouble getting iPhone installment payment contracts unless they can prove they have a valid visa for at least the next 2 years?

[Billy]

I've tried the iPhone a million times and i hate that thing.

The sh-04a is a side flip phone... how do you input Japanese?

[Yokohammer]

Blackberry Bold is da bomb.

Also kind of expensive, but worth every pfennig.

[FG Lurker]

The sh-04a and the balckberry bold both make the iPhone look like shit.

Perhaps, but the iPhone is available with an inexpensive (for Japan) unlimited packet plan, can be easily jailbroken, is perfectly multilingual, and has hundreds of very useful apps (and of course 10s of thousands of crap ones). There may be better devices from a purely hardware perspective but none of them come close to what the iPhone offers in Japan.

One thing that would make the current iPhone better is if the carrier was DoCoMo instead of Softbank...

[FG Lurker]

If you're smart enough to be considering your options, you're smart enough to not buy an iPhone. (or any other overpriced, underpowered Apple fad)

Don't be an iZombie.

Ah, a fanboy of some other system. Personally I don't care who makes what, I buy what works. For my PC that happens to be ThinkPad + WinXP with two Dell 24" displays. For my music players and phone that happens to be Apple. Brand loyalty?

BTW, haven't many gaijin had trouble getting iPhone installment payment contracts unless they can prove they have a valid visa for at least the next 2 years?

You'll have problems getting any 2 year contract (mobile phone or otherwise) if you don't have at least 2 years left on your visa. Would you give someone a 2 year contract when legally they can't be here to complete it? You won't be in business for long if you do.

[Coligny]

If you're smart enough to be considering your options, you're smart enough to not buy an iPhone. (or any other overpriced, underpowered Apple fad)

Don't be an iZombie.

BTW, haven't many gaijin had trouble getting iPhone installment payment contracts unless they can prove they have a valid visa for at least the next 2 years?

Too cool for school I suppose...

Don't jump on the other bandwagon, the one of the IPhone haters... "I'm not edgy anymore with an IPhone since everybody and their dogs got one".

The only thing -FOR ME- going against the IPhone is the crappy build in camera. Since I use 2 or 3 time a day my phone camera but don't want to carry another device even a point and shoot I stick with AU/KDDI casio exilim. But the google earth/map feature of the IPhone make me drool everyday.

[FG Lurker]

The only thing -FOR ME- going against the IPhone is the crappy build in camera. Since I use 2 or 3 time a day my phone camera but don't want to carry another device even a point and shoot I stick with AU/KDDI casio exilim. But the google earth/map feature of the IPhone make me drool everyday.

Yes, the camera is crap. I hope it is one of the things Apple improves with the next version but it probably won't be as good as the Casio one. It looks like Casio has put an actual compact camera into their phone, rather than just hack in something that kinda-sorta works.

[Billy]

I've tried to use the iPhone a million times and it's impossible to type on that thing. It takes me a half hour to send a single email. Besides that the battery life sucks and I can go on and on.

I was hoping to get some feedback on the 932SH. Does anyone have any feedback on this particular phone?

Thanks.

[Mike Oxlong]

I used a friend's iPhone over the New Years vacation, and thought it was a pretty cool phone. Typing on the touch screen took some getting used to, but was faster once you got the hang of it. The Google Maps/GPS, having music and movies and all manner of games, finance apps...was really cool. Just found Softbank's coverage spotty outside the major urban centers, and the Internet-based stuff seemed a tad slow for my liking.

[FG Lurker]

I've tried to use the iPhone a million times and it's impossible to type on that thing.

No, you tried it once or twice and didn't like it. If you'd tried it "a million times" you would find that it's actually faster to type on the screen once you get used to it. I didn't like it at first either but now I can hammer out full business emails much faster than I was able to on previous QWERTY-keyboard phones I have had.

Besides that the battery life sucks and I can go on and on.

This is a valid point. I have a Sanyo Eneloop battery that I take with me if I am going to need to use the phone a lot while out-and-about. It is a definite drawback of the iPhone and something I hope Apple will address.

I was hoping to get some feedback on the 932SH. Does anyone have any feedback on this particular phone?

Your question seemed a bit more open-ended than that.

[Billy]

@FG Lurker

thanks for the info. If I do decide to go with the iPhone then I'm definitely going to wait until the new one comes out. I'm not gonna get locked into a 3 year contract with 2nd generation gear.

Until I make up my mind... my crappy Vodafone will have to do.

[Mike Oxlong]

If I do decide to go with the iPhone then I'm definitely going to wait until the new one comes out. I'm not gonna get locked into a 3 year contract with 2nd generation gear.

Think the contracts are 2-year, unless you buy the phone outright.

Anyway, Mac Rumors suggests you wait anyway...

[FG Lurker]

thanks for the info. If I do decide to go with the iPhone then I'm definitely going to wait until the new one comes out. I'm not gonna get locked into a 3 year contract with 2nd generation gear.

I agree that if you can wait until the next-gen phone is out that you would be wise to do so. Depending on what Apple changes and improves I may buy one outright when they come out, especially if I can get an unlocked one directly from Apple.

Until I make up my mind... my crappy Vodafone will have to do.

That looks a lot like the Samsung 804SS that I have here in my desk drawer! I liked that phone a lot when it came out but the battery life is actually even worse than the iPhone's! After that I bought the first HTC phone that Softbank brought out (with the slide out QWERTY keyboard) and then the HTC X02HT from Softbank. The X02HT is quite a nice phone IMO, I still have it around for overseas use.

[Billy]

I agree that if you can wait until the next-gen phone is out that you would be wise to do so. Depending on what Apple changes and improves I may buy one outright when they come out, especially if I can get an unlocked one directly from Apple.

I've waited this long so I'm sure I can wait a little longer.

How would I go about getting an unlocked one from Apple? Can I get one in the USA or does it have to be a Japanese iPhone. Maybe I'll give it a shot.

[aquamarine]

How would I go about getting an unlocked one from Apple? Can I get one in the USA or does it have to be a Japanese iPhone. Maybe I'll give it a shot.

I was under the assumption (so says my Apple Fan-Boy buddies - one of which works for an Apple Help Desk), that you currently can not buy an iPhone that is unlocked, and that if it does come into fruition, it will be like that when AT&T finishes their term of agreement contracts with Apple as being the ONLY provider in the states that carries the iPhone. That's sometime next year, if memory serves. Can someone correct me if I am out to lunch here?

[FG Lurker]

Apple in the US has started to sell unlocked iPhone but the price is about $800.

Apparently legally unlocked phones are available in HK. All phones sold in NZ must be unlocked by law so that is another possible source.

[Billy]

Sounds better to just go the safe route and go though the carrier. I think I've been convinced to go with the new iPhone... maybe.