Good news everyone! I have an unlocked iPhone, and after
waiting a long time for my resident's card, I was finally able to get a SIM
card! I brought over my unlocked iPhone, and despite being told "Not gonna
work," more times than I can count, I assured them that Apple isn't stupid,
nor am I, and yes it would. Sure enough, I just had to find the right company!
I actually went through Docomo, the one carrier that
"doesn't" support iPhone. They got smart and are now offering SIMs to
unlocked iPhone users. Makes sense, it allows them to tap into the iPhone
market and get some of the business from AU and Softbank. It just has to be
unlocked, of course. This can be done the way I did (purchase it unlocked) or
if you've finished your phone contract and it's eligible for
"unlocking." They're already micro SIMs, and I was able to get mine
under a 2-year contract, which, even if I only stay for one year and pay the
cancellation fee, still saves me money. But I hope to stay in Japan for two
years anyways, and now I have awesome internet with tethering (which I don't
even know how to use, but will find out) and didn't have to buy a data only SIM
and make an attempt at getting a local number through Skype (which is also a
viable option for those of you who enjoy VoiP). This is easier for me because
it's one bill, all in yen, and all to the same place.
Getting the SIM was the same process as getting an entirely
new phone, including the part where it takes forever. I had my supervisor there
to translate and help, otherwise there'd have been no way I could've gotten any
of this done. We went to the Docomo store, and had to talk to the
representative (not within my Japanese ability) so if you're looking to get a
SIM, try to find someone who can help you get it all figured out to save you
any extra trouble. She also helped me after to set up the data and mail.
Because Docomo doesn't officially support iPhone, you have to manually input
the settings for data and mail server connections. Docomo gave me a booklet
that made it look way more complicated than it actually is, and my supervisor
helped me bypass their stupid steps to input the right data, and off I went.
iPhone works, life is good.
Moral of the story: if you have an unlocked iPhone, it will
work, just don't let them tell you otherwise. Be persistent, it will pay off,
and you get to keep your phone in the end.
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