TLUG Mailing List

As for SIM-locked versus SIM-unlocked (or in Jinglish SIM-free) phones ...

At a first glance it may seem that an unlocked phone is preferable for travelling. However, I would offer a different viewpoint both from a cost/performance perspective and from a convenience perspective.

An unlocked phone will always cost significantly more than a locked one. Even if you have no smart phone at all as you say and you consider getting one both for your country of residence and one for Japan, buying two, three or even four SIM-locked phones may be significantly cheaper than buying a single unlocked phone.

Furthermore, apart from the inconvenience of having to carry two phones, it is actually more practical to have two phones, one for each country. You will likely tell everyone who needs to know what your Japan mobile phone number is and for how long you are going to be in Japan, but there may be certain commmunications from unexpected parties, who don't know you are overseas and who don't know your Japan mobile phone number.

Caller ID usually works, so even if you do not pick up the phone to save the cost of roaming surcharges on incoming calls, you will be able to see who tried to call you while you are in Japan. If you swap out your SIM card and use your phone with a Japanese SIM, then you will miss any such communication. Also, if you have online banking, your bank may send a passcode for two-stage authentication to your moible by SMS, but to the number in your country of residence, not the Japanese number and they may not accept any numbers overseas at all.

Also, if you visit regularly, you can leave the Japan phone the way it is until you visit again. All the history in that phone will be related to your visit and it will be much more convenient to pick up the communication again when you visit next time. Settings, bookmarks, chat history, all can be nicely customised for Japan visits on the Japan phone. These days, you can synchronise address books across devices, so no problem with maintaining multiple phones.

I would certainly recommend a one-phone-per-country approach for the most frequently visited countries.

I personally have one phone for Japan (SIM-locked), one for Switzerland (SIM-locked), one for France (SIM-locked) as I was commuting for work from France to Switzerland, and a third one for all other countries (unlocked). Only one of these phones I purchased new, all others I got second hand. The Japanese one I got in a specialised second hand mobile phone store in Akihabara for 12.000 yen, the others I got via eBay in Europe. I didn't care for the latest models, so they were all very reasonably priced.

On 16 June 2016 at 18:39, Lyle H Saxon <llletters@example.com> wrote:

On Thu, Jun 16, 2016 at 5:54 PM, Raymond Wan <rwan.kyoto@example.com> wrote:
>> * Suica vs Pasmo. Which one should I get? Is it sixes? My usual stomping
>> grounds is centered roughly on Ikebukuro, if that makes a difference.
>> I've never had one of these cards before, preferring to stick, even
>> over many visits for the last 15 years, with the old paper tickets
>
> In one case where it did matter (and this was several years ago, so
> maybe no longer important) is if you buy a monthly commuter card. If
> you tend to travel on JR on a month (or 3 month or 6 month) pass, JR
> will ask that you use the JR card (Suica, right? I always forget
> which is which).

If you buy a commuter pass that includes both JR and two separate
private lines, it's been my experience that JR refuses to issue a
single card, but private railway companies will (via a Pasmo card) and
it can include the JR stretch (and two private lines).

A weird note - I've begun to have a very strange experience from time
to time that didn't happen for 30 years and then suddenly started
happening about a year ago or so. You buy something with cash and
when they give you your change, they clamp their left hand firmly onto
the back of your outstretched right hand and put the change in your
palm with their right hand. I don't know WTH that's about, but it's
creepy when it happens. For that reason and just for convenience,
I've taken to paying for just about everything with a Suica card, to
both avoid filthy ten yen coins and that weird hand grabbing thing
that happens sometimes....

Lyle

--
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
please see the instructions at http://lists.tlug.jp/list.html

The TLUG mailing list is hosted by ASAHI Net, provider of mobile and
fixed broadband Internet services to individuals and corporations.
Visit ASAHI Net's English-language Web page: http://asahi-net.jp/en/

Re: [tlug] Best communications-enabled, efficient visit