These phone questions get asked so much I wonder if it isn't worth having a sticky that specifically covers this topic?
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Or just a link to the Japanese Cell Phone FAQ: http://euc.jp/misc/cellphones.en.htmlOriginally Posted by valve bouncer
These phone questions get asked so much I wonder if it isn't worth having a sticky that specifically covers this topic?
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Yes. Definitely possible to be in more than one category. Originally Posted by RichardInSF
Can we be in multiple categories? I consider myself in categories (c), (d), AND (e).
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Need to ask GadgetFreak. He has declared himself the pope of omni. Not sure if he means "pope of everything" or just pope of the omni forum on FT.Originally Posted by RichardInSF
Curiosity question: If the Pope was a FTer, would everything he contributes be regarded as pontification?
A few out of the box options, perhaps I missed it but you didn't state how long you'll be in Japan:
Will you primarily be on the go? Stationary? If you'll be near WiFi you can use the most convenient unified option for you would be to buy a Nokia E61i with WiFi and sign up for Truphone. It's the easiest no-hassle way to do VoIP I've seen and I used it very successfully this last trip to Tokyo when my Asterisk VoIP box fell over mid-trip. That also gives you a phone that works just about anywhere a phone CAN work as it supports UMTS and quadband GSM. When able to stay in one place long enough it worked very well for incoming calls as well as outgoing. If you don't travel internationally frequently it's a bit of a waste. If you do, it'll save you astonishing amounts.
The rentals I've seen are ¥60-¥80yen/minute so you're looking at between .55-.70 cents a minute in airtime and LD to call the US. Much cheaper than roaming but still not cheap. This last trip what worked well was to roam with my US SIM, limit calls on it as much as possible, and put off everything I could until I could be stationary for long enough to use VoIP. It wasn't perfect but a 10 day trip with heavy voice and data usage was only $650 in roaming. My last trip? Over $3k. I consider that a win.
Will you primarily be on the go? Stationary? If you'll be near WiFi you can use the most convenient unified option for you would be to buy a Nokia E61i with WiFi and sign up for Truphone. It's the easiest no-hassle way to do VoIP I've seen and I used it very successfully this last trip to Tokyo when my Asterisk VoIP box fell over mid-trip. That also gives you a phone that works just about anywhere a phone CAN work as it supports UMTS and quadband GSM. When able to stay in one place long enough it worked very well for incoming calls as well as outgoing. If you don't travel internationally frequently it's a bit of a waste. If you do, it'll save you astonishing amounts.
The rentals I've seen are ¥60-¥80yen/minute so you're looking at between .55-.70 cents a minute in airtime and LD to call the US. Much cheaper than roaming but still not cheap. This last trip what worked well was to roam with my US SIM, limit calls on it as much as possible, and put off everything I could until I could be stationary for long enough to use VoIP. It wasn't perfect but a 10 day trip with heavy voice and data usage was only $650 in roaming. My last trip? Over $3k. I consider that a win.
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Well that just about cover's it doesn't it.Originally Posted by patchmonkey
Or just a link to the Japanese Cell Phone FAQ: http://euc.jp/misc/cellphones.en.html
Here's a link to a thread in which I've discussed some of my experiences with the Treo 750 on AT&T/Cingular.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=699827
It's a big monthly package.
Basic Monthly Plan
Unlimited Global Data
Outgoing International Calling Plan-Reduced Rates
International Roaming Plan-Reduced Rates
I try to limit my calls (airtime) which bill at about $1.60/min. Data in Japan is part of the Unlimited Global Data (it's not as global as you'd think) but only up to like 20MB/GB (not sure which) per month.
I utilize my Au prepaid with free incoming and $.85 outbound to any number in Japan or international destination. I was able to verify my identity & address with my passport and driver's license due to receiving a chance call from Au while I was in country on business.
Regards,
Scho
Thank all of you for your responses. Most of the time I'm reading the old posts but I'm glad I have a place to go when I have real question. I'm going ORD-NRT on 9-29 JAL for 5 nights, then Beijing and SHA for 5 nights each, back home SHA-ORD (AA) on 10-15. I usually just use my Cingular Razor when I travel but I know it won't work in Japan. I'll be on the go most of time and I would like to be able to receive calls from the states. I may just end up renting from cellhire for inbound and use Skype on my laptop for outbound back at the hotel. And keep the Razor for my China portion.