Has anyone used Cell Phones in Japan? Rental or SIM Rental

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Old 03-19-2012, 05:18 PM
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Has anyone used Cell Phones in Japan? Rental or SIM Rental

I've been doing some researching and global communications was the cheapest but they don't have any more rental phones so I may just get a sim card if they are available about $150 for 3 weeks stay with unlimited data and decent call per minute prices. Has anyone here had any luck with other companies that provide data for cheap because I'm more worried about that than making phone calls because those can be made at my grandparents house or by public telephone when needed. Getting around is easy for me since I've lived in Japan before and fluent but finding exact locations can be difficult sometimes (for those who know.... there are no street names :P).

Thanks in Advance,
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Old 03-19-2012, 05:49 PM
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Originally Posted by Heedz
I've been doing some researching and global communications was the cheapest but they don't have any more rental phones so I may just get a sim card if they are available about $150 for 3 weeks stay with unlimited data and decent call per minute prices. Has anyone here had any luck with other companies that provide data for cheap because I'm more worried about that than making phone calls because those can be made at my grandparents house or by public telephone when needed. Getting around is easy for me since I've lived in Japan before and fluent but finding exact locations can be difficult sometimes (for those who know.... there are no street names :P).

Thanks in Advance,
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That maybe your answer:

onesimcard.com

SIM Card - International cell phone rates

UPD. Sorry, re-read you question and that doesn't look like a good solution for data - $0.342 / 10kB. Will be expensive.

Last edited by wwrx; 03-19-2012 at 05:52 PM.
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Old 03-19-2012, 06:27 PM
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I remember the last time I went, about 1 year ago, KDDI only does a plan, where you can only buy the sim and not the phone. Even then they charged about 7,000 Yen. I didnt want to pay that much since I was only going to stay in Japan for about 4weeks.

Actually, I remember AT&T and NTT Docomo merged or something. Maybe you can get a deal from them?

But i've never tried a global phone. neither a rental phone. However, they do have them at Narita, and get past immigration check point.
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Old 03-19-2012, 07:36 PM
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I've used my blackberry there in the past. Since it was a global phone, I just called verizon and had them set it up to work over there. (Just involved some things on their end and a reset of my phone)

I didn't use voice, just data though. If I needed to use voice it would have worked, just been super expensive.

I was just there in January and really wished my wife and I had our blackberries still. Having non-global androids sucked if we wanted to go to different places.
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Old 03-19-2012, 08:35 PM
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Where you going to be?

I was lucky enough to have my grandpa buy me a phone just to use during the summers when I went...had a deal with his cell provider that it was basically pay-per month...and then he'd just leave the phone off when I wasn't there...if your family has a cell plan, maybe they can do something similar?

Oh and eat some mos cheeseburgers for me haha
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Old 03-19-2012, 08:42 PM
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Originally Posted by slugrx
Where you going to be?

I was lucky enough to have my grandpa buy me a phone just to use during the summers when I went...had a deal with his cell provider that it was basically pay-per month...and then he'd just leave the phone off when I wasn't there...if your family has a cell plan, maybe they can do something similar?

Oh and eat some mos cheeseburgers for me haha

Oh man... Mos Burger.... drool.
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Old 03-19-2012, 09:53 PM
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Unlimited data? Google voice number. Problem solved
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Old 03-20-2012, 11:53 AM
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Get a Thuraya sat phone and buy recharge cards as needed.
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Old 03-20-2012, 12:35 PM
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Originally Posted by rau
Unlimited data? Google voice number. Problem solved
This!
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Old 03-20-2012, 04:26 PM
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Originally Posted by wwrx
That maybe your answer:

onesimcard.com

SIM Card - International cell phone rates

UPD. Sorry, re-read you question and that doesn't look like a good solution for data - $0.342 / 10kB. Will be expensive.
Yeah I'm not so worried about calling, the data is like 23914u3452u43025 million yen at that point I would rather price cap with softbank at 1500 yen a day

Originally Posted by theoutbackdream
I remember the last time I went, about 1 year ago, KDDI only does a plan, where you can only buy the sim and not the phone. Even then they charged about 7,000 Yen. I didnt want to pay that much since I was only going to stay in Japan for about 4weeks.

Actually, I remember AT&T and NTT Docomo merged or something. Maybe you can get a deal from them?

But i've never tried a global phone. neither a rental phone. However, they do have them at Narita, and get past immigration check point.
Either way I was going to pay about 150$ to get a phone there or use a phone there. All of them are around the same price softbank or docomo for rentals.

Originally Posted by apetron
I've used my blackberry there in the past. Since it was a global phone, I just called verizon and had them set it up to work over there. (Just involved some things on their end and a reset of my phone)

I didn't use voice, just data though. If I needed to use voice it would have worked, just been super expensive.

I was just there in January and really wished my wife and I had our blackberries still. Having non-global androids sucked if we wanted to go to different places.
Well my S2 is sim unlocked but I am taking an iphone 3gs as a back up and sim unlocking that too.
Originally Posted by slugrx
Where you going to be?

I was lucky enough to have my grandpa buy me a phone just to use during the summers when I went...had a deal with his cell provider that it was basically pay-per month...and then he'd just leave the phone off when I wasn't there...if your family has a cell plan, maybe they can do something similar?

Oh and eat some mos cheeseburgers for me haha
Osaka then Tokyo. I mean I could just get a monthly plan over there myself, I have an address and a citizenship, if no plans come up since GCC said they had no more phones or sims left, I guess I'll browse around the area for a phone that is sim usable.

Originally Posted by rau
Unlimited data? Google voice number. Problem solved
Walter the issue is achieving unlimited data and I'll be on a japanese tel line so I don't think I'll be able to unless my S2 works over there. Not worried about minutes either.
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Old 03-20-2012, 04:31 PM
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I've done quite a bit of travel in Europe and settled on International Cell Phones & Satellite Phone Rental from Mobal for service
Only pay for what you use.
+1 on the google voice thing, but I've only done that through my laptop while traveling
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Old 03-20-2012, 05:20 PM
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Originally Posted by slugrx
Where you going to be?

I was lucky enough to have my grandpa buy me a phone just to use during the summers when I went...had a deal with his cell provider that it was basically pay-per month...and then he'd just leave the phone off when I wasn't there...if your family has a cell plan, maybe they can do something similar?

Oh and eat some mos cheeseburgers for me haha
Originally Posted by apetron
Oh man... Mos Burger.... drool.
Oh Mos.......
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Old 03-20-2012, 05:47 PM
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Just took out my sim card and tried to make a call via google voice with just wifi doesnt work.
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Old 03-20-2012, 06:49 PM
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Originally Posted by Choku Dori
Oh Mos.......
Droooooooooling...I seriously ate there everyday I was there last summer...didn't go for three years and then went and ate one everyday for two weeks haha
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Old 03-20-2012, 07:21 PM
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Originally Posted by slugrx
Droooooooooling...I seriously ate there everyday I was there last summer...didn't go for three years and then went and ate one everyday for two weeks haha
I haven't had one in about a decade...

Anyway, as for OP...
Let me google that for you
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