vB Easy Archive - Travel to Japan

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Travel to Japan
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Posted by: jmm74

I plan to travel to Japan in the next couple of months. As I understand it, my Sync will not work. I am looking for a low cost option to use my ATT sim while traveling in Japan.

All the options I have found, such as a Blackjack2 are $250plus.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
John

Posted by: gregsmith59

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmm74

I plan to travel to Japan in the next couple of months. As I understand it, my Sync will not work. I am looking for a low cost option to use my ATT sim while traveling in Japan.

All the options I have found, such as a Blackjack2 are $250plus.
...

Are you willing to just rent a phone at the airport?

Posted by: aw614

find a cheap older 3g phone on ebay

Posted by: i0wnj00

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmm74

1.) Find a way to remove the SIM lock off the BlackJack II.
2.) Use SoftBank (formerly known as Vodafone K.K.). This is your only choice, if you want to use the BlackJack II.
http://www.softbank-rental.jp/en/

3.) If you need data then there's the 24.99$ add on for 20 megs of intl data etc.... The AT&T SIM is for data and maybe for text messaging, and the SoftBank SIM for voice.

That's what I did when I was in Japan.

Posted by: jmm74

Quote:

Originally Posted by aw614

find a cheap older 3g phone on ebay

I have not been able to find very many older/cheaper 3g phones on ebay.

Posted by: bodeh6

Old SE like the K600 or Z800 will work there.
Or K610/K800.

Posted by: darth_malus

what frequency do phones in japan run on if a phone from the us dosent work, i heard there phones use UMTS as the voice gateway instead of gsm?

Posted by: i0wnj00

2100 MHz UMTS. The same frequency for UMTS used in Europe and the rest of Asia.
UMTS is used for both voice and data. Operators over there also use CDMA, PDC, and PHS but that's beyond the scope of this thread since it won't help the OP.

Posted by: darth_malus

Quote:

Originally Posted by i0wnj00

2100 MHz UMTS. The same frequency for UMTS used in Europe and the rest of Asia.
UMTS is used for both voice and data. Operators over there also use CDMA, PDC, and PHS but that's beyond the scope of this thread since it won't help the OP.

so technically since my blackjack supports the 2100 band, and its unlocked if i ever went to japan i would be alright then.

Posted by: i0wnj00

Only the Blackjack II, the first one is only for UMTS 850/1900. It obviously has to be unlocked, you'll probably have to prove that it works even if you know it will because they're not going to be familiar with it. I had to "prove" that the Treo 750 will work even though I knew it would before they even signed me up.

Only for SoftBank, any other provider you're renting a compatible phone from them.