Kirk here with a bit of information and some questions about mobile phone deals in Japan. Today I went with my daughter to Yamada Denki to compare AU, Docomo, and Softbank phone deals. To be honest, I was pretty disappointed. First, we were told that we had to buy a new phone offered by the company that would provide service (that is, using a separately purchased sim-free phone was out of the question). Second, the minimum fee per month for a smart phone deal was about 3,000 yen with no option to reduce the fee by eliminating internet services (we have wi-fi at home and think basic phone service would be enough when away from home). Third, we were told that the contract period for each company was 2 years at the minimum and that discontinuing service before that would entail an additional fee.
After coming home, I got on the web and found that I could do better on all three counts with Rakuten’s R-Mobile: 1) Separately purchased sim-free smart phones OK (I found a deal on a new ASUS Zenfone that looked pretty good for just over 20,000); 2) Basic service starts at 525 yen per month for internet service only (no phone service – with phone service and messaging the price rises to 1,250 yen); 3) the minimum contract period is 1 year, not 2.
Here are my questions:
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Are the options provided by AU, Docomo, and Softbank really as bad as I was led to believe?
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The impression I got from my research on the net is that Rakuten’s R-Mobile is the best deal but am I right about that?
I’m particularly interested in learning about solutions found by people who plan to be in Kumamoto longer than a typical tourist but less than two years.
Thanks in advance!
P.S. Here’s the address for the ASUS Zenfone I mentioned: http://www.expansys.jp/asus-zenfone-2-laser-dual-sim-ze550kl-unlocked-lte-16gb-black-282293/