Apple Stores finally coming to India

The Apple Store is coming to India — or at least a few counters are, along with those signature wooden tables. They will be debuting in India in partnership with Tata-owned consumer electronics chain Croma, which will host Apple at six of its locations as a pilot.

"We are proud to partner Apple to launch the Apple Store in India and extremely bullish about it," said Avijit Mitra, CEO of Infiniti Retail, which owns Croma. "These stores will be modeled on the global design and will offer the best experience to consumers, showcasing the entire range of Apple products."

The Apple space will be 400-500 square feet in area and will be set up at five Croma stores in Mumbai — Malad, Juhu, Oberoi Mall, Phoenix Mall and Ghatkopar. In Bengaluru, this will be at Croma in Jayanagar. They are set to open by Diwali next month.

The store design, furniture, fixtures and lighting will the same as that used in Apple stores globally and the sales staff will also be trained by the company. In India, Apple sells through premium resellers who run exclusive brand stores under the franchise model. Devices are also available at multi-brand mobile and consumer electronics retail chains and some of the larger neighborhood phone stores.

Apple hasn't been able to set up its own stores because of mandatory local-sourcing norms for single-brand foreign direct investment in retail, it is said. Going the Croma route gives Apple the opportunity to control the consumer experience without jumping through the bureaucratic hoops.

To be sure, this could also be a precursor for a possibly stronger retail presence.

CEO Tim Cook is said to have suggested an easing of the sourcing rules when he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the US recently, according to two persons with knowledge of this. Croma said it has 97 stores across the country with 3.8 million customers. Apple owns more than 460 stores in 17 countries — more than half in the US. The company has significantly increased its retail presence in the country in the past year with five distributors as India has become one of the fastest-growing markets for Apple.

It's also accelerated the launch of new phones. Sales of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus will start on October 16, just three weeks after the US. It also plans to launch Apple Watch in India by Diwali.

Apple sold 1.7 million iPhones in India between October 2014 and September 2015, the company's financial year, compared with 1.1 million units in the year-earlier period, according to market tracker Counter-Point Research.

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Apple to launch new iPhones on 9 September; will discontinue iPhone 5c

In line with reports earlier this month, Apple is all set to host its next-gen iPhone launch event on September 9. The company will be live streaming the event on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and also for PC users.

The company has started sending invites to some media houses for the event to be held at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California. The event image reads, “Hey Siri, give us a hint.”

The company has ensured that Siri is a part of its media invite this time. Take a look below:

Image: MacRumors

This year, the Cupertino company is expected to launch the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus. The company was also rumoured to launch a cheaper variant – iPhone 6c – at the event. However, a new report by 9To5Mac claims otherwise. Citing sources related to the matter, the report says that Apple is working on the 4-inch device but it is not yet ready to ship.

“Apple has also internally prototyped a new, smaller iPhone with a 3.5-inch display, the same size of the iPhone’s screen from the first model in 2007 to the iPhone 4S in 2011, but it does not appear that the company plans to move forward with actually releasing such a device,” the report further adds. It further adds that the company plans to discontinue iPhone 5c, but the iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus sales will continue.

Image: MacRumors

Besides the new iPhones, the company is also expected to launch the long-time rumoured and much talked about 12.9-inch iPad dubbed iPad Pro. The large ‘12.9-inch iPad’ first hit headlines way back in 2013. Earlier this year, reports claimed that Apple will delay the start of production on the larger iPad Pro until around September due to problems involving the display panel supply.

The list of new products to be launched at the September event also includes the new Apple TV. Reports earlier this month hinted at Apple’s talks with ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox ‘rapidly gaining momentum. The company had earlier planned to launch the Apple TV at WWDC. However, the plan was canned as Apple didn’t want to take away the focus from its new OS or music streaming service.

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Apple’s iPhone event may be held on September 9; expect iPhone 6s models, Apple TV and iPad Pro

It is known that Apple is likely to launch its next iPhone in September, and now the latest news brings the probable dates too. Citing sources related to the matter, BuzzFeed News reveals the next Apple event, wherein the company will unveil its next-gen iPhones, is slated for the week of September 7 and the most probably on September 9.

It should be noted that the company had launched its iPhone 6 models last year on the same date. Going by the reports, Apple plans to launch the new devices dubbed iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus phablet this year. These will be the successors to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, respectively. Besides, the company is also expected to launch the iPhone 6C.

According to a previous report by Digitimes, the iPhone 6C will use a polycarbonate construction — like the colorful iPhone 5C — and will run a less potent processor. However the biggest difference is that it will boast a smaller, 4-inch display rather than the 4.7-inch screen on the current iPhone 6. The production of Apple’s larger iPad Pro was to start last year. However, it was delayed due to excessive demand for the iPhone 6 Plus.

Despite lower specifications, the new handset, expected to be unveiled in September, will reportedly have a fingerprint scanner and will support the Apple Pay digital payments platform.

An earlier report also said that Apple has secured a new patent which will give future iPhones the ability to shoot even better images and deliver high-quality colours.

According to Apple Insider, the company has been a granted a patent for a ‘digital camera with light splitter’ which will allow Apple to embed a three-sensor prism-based camera module within the chassis of a thin wireless device, like the iPhone.

Besides the iPhone 6S models, the company is also expected to launch the long-time rumoured and much talked about 12.9-inch iPad dubbed iPad Pro. The large ‘12.9-inch iPad’first hit headlines way back in 2013. Earlier this year, reports claimed that Apple will delay the start of production on the larger iPad Pro until around September due to problems involving the display panel supply.

The list of new products to be launched at the September event also includes the new Apple TV. Reports earlier this month hinted at Apple’s talks with ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox ‘rapidly gaining momentum. The company had earlier planned to launch the Apple TV at WWDC. However, the plans were canned as Apple didn’t want to take away the focus from its new OS or Music streaming service.

With the new product, we may see design changes as well as internal improvements. The all-new Apple TV will bring changes to the device such as App Store, voice control with Siri, and an improved remote with a touch pad. The new box is said to be slimmer and will come improved speed.

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Apple Watch 2: Facetime with greater iPhone independence

Current wearables, especially smartwatches are smartphone extensions. More like a Bluetooth extensions with limited intelligence on the hardware itself. The Apple Watch 2 could change that.



According to a report in 9to5mac, Apple is considering “a 2016 release of a second-generation model. According to multiple sources familiar with Apple’s plans, the Apple Watch 2 is planned to gain a video camera, a new wireless system for greater iPhone independence, and new premium-priced models. Interestingly, it will also feature similar battery life to its predecessor.”

In reference to Apple Facetime coming to the Apple Watch, the report adds that, “Apple’s current considerations call for a video camera to be integrated into the top bezel of the Apple Watch 2, enabling users to make and receive FaceTime calls on the move via their wrists.”

The report adds, “Under an initiative internally called “tether-less,” Apple plans for the second-generation Watch to have more functionality when used independently from an iPhone.” Although Apple Watch would support payments, text messaging and email, these are still functions that depend on the iPhone. The way forward according to Apple is to offer more independence to the Apple Watch.

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How to get a new iPhone with an old data plan

(Short answer: Don't switch to or stay with Docomo.)

All of the Japanese carriers have followed Docomo's lead and introduced new plans with unlimited calling and shared data. A comment on a previous post pointed out that this adds more complexity to the typical Japanese carrier strategy of throwing cash and discounts at people to induce them to switch because of increased minimum monthly costs. To be honest, this year's iPhone release was really boring. I was hoping to see some whacky promotions, but they just never happened, perhaps because the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications asked the carriers show a bit of restraint.

“But excessive cash-back promotions and extreme sales competition that create a sense of unfairness for other long-term users aren’t desirable.”

Cost of old and new plans

Comparison of old and new data plans

	Old data plan	New data plan
Basic voice plan	¥934 (¥743)	¥2700
ISP charge	¥300	¥300
Data plan	¥5,200 (7GB)	¥5,000 (5 GB)
TOTAL	¥6,434 (¥6,243)	¥8,000

The above prices are without tax. I haven't bothered to separate by carrier because they all charge the exact same price. The only difference is in Docomo's old voice plan (shown in parenthesis), but that's only a minor point because it doesn't exist anymore.

The difference in price between the old and new plans is ¥1,566, which equates to about 40 minutes of outgoing calls (at ¥20/30 seconds). Note that the old plan as shown doesn't include any free outgoing calls, even to users of the same network. For someone who makes zero outgoing calls, that's an increase in price of ¥37,584 over a 24-month contract. However this is only the case if you are getting your shiny new iPhone from Docomo.

Docomo forced "upgrade" to new data plan

Not only had docomo discontinued the old data plan as of September 1st of this year, existing customers MUST upgrade to the new data plans to be eligible for a monthly handset subsidy (月々サポート). There is no mention of the voice plan, but (as you may have guessed), getting the new data plan also requires getting the new voice plan. Yay.

The monthly subsidies are what allow you to walk out of a store with a new phone for somewhere between nothing and ¥20,000. The actual cost of the phone is often upwards of ¥100,000, split over your monthly bill for 12 to 24 months. Then the subsidy (typically an equal amount) is subtracted. Remove that subsidy and you will be charged ¥99,792 for a Docomo iPhone 6 Plus.

Softbank and KDDI still offer old plans – for now

You may have been told differently by random Softbank shop staff, but it IS still possible to get a brand new subsidized (and shiny) iPhone with the old, less expensive data plans. (See here for example.)

実質的に新プランしか選べないドコモに対し、au／ソフトバンクはMNPで新規契約する場合にも旧プランが選べ、「毎月割」「月月割」といった毎月の割引が同じように発生する。

Unlike docomo where the only reasonable choice is a new data plan, both AU and Softbank offer the old plans, even for new new users who port over a phone number.

The Softbank white plan is available for new contracts until November 30, 2014. The AU LTE Plan was previously shown to be available until the end of February next year, but there is currently no restriction displayed.

When porting in a new new number (MNP) to either KDDI or Softbank, the old plan base fee (¥934) is waived for two years. These two carriers will also buy back your old docomo iPhone 5S or 5C for about ¥30,000 or so.

Trade in a Docomo iPhone 5S

I'll consider a 1 year old 16GB Docomo iPhone 5S that was bought by an existing customer (no MNP discount). In that case, you probably owe about ¥40,000 on the phone, which is the amount you will be billed for if you cancel you contract and port out your number. Add to that about ¥10,000 for early termination, and the cost to leave Docomo becomes ¥50,000.

KDDI will buy that phone for up to ¥31,000, and the waived base fee (old plan) totals about ¥22,000 over 24 months, offsetting the cost of leaving Docomo assuming you don't then jump to Softbank when the new (and probably shiny) iPhone 6S Plus XL is released next year.

If you stay with Docomo, while they will buy back your iPhone 5S, they won't give you a discount for being a loyal customer, and they will force you to upgrade to the unlimited calling plan, a roughly ¥2,000 monthly increase over the current least expensive voice plan (an additional ¥37,584 over a 24-month contract).

Softbank iPhone 6 America Unlimited plan to provide inexpensive roaming

Updated with a correction on application requirements and some images.

Free calls to both Japan and the United States using Sprint's network.

No service application or service fee for plans over 5 GB.

I was planning on writing up a post comparing each of the Japanese carrier's iPhone 6 plans but that really gets tiring. They are all basically the same. As soon as one carrier outdoes the rest with some promotion, campaign, discount, offer, or other gimmick, the others quickly devising a similar scheme.

Thus, the answer to the question of which carrier is best for you shiny new iPhone is always the same: not you current carrier because

1. The discounts and cash back offered to people who port their number to a new carrier offset the early termination fee for leaving.
2. The new plans allow unlimited calling to all mobiles/land lines, so it no longer matters which carrier your friends and family use.
3. All carriers now have similar coverage across multiple high and low frequency bands.
4. All carriers now have similar issues with congestions and network slow downs.

However, this year is different. For American expats or people who frequently travel to the United States, SoftBank appears to be the clear winner in the iPhone 6 competition. After purchasing a majority stake in US carrier Sprint, SoftBank is now able to offer deals that Docomo and KDDI simply cannot match.

SoftBank "All You Can America" Plan

The full details are still scarce, but unless there is something profound that is being held back, the new US roaming plan from Softbank looks pretty nice.

• Roaming on Sprint's CDMA-2000 (3G) and TD-LTE ("4G") network (the latter will come sometime this (fiscal?) year)
• ¥980 per month only during months the service is used (free during the initial promotion period and).
• While in the US, voice, SMS, and data are available just as if you were in Japan
• Apparently unlimited calling in the US (according to tech blogs but there in no mention on SoftBank's press release)
• No need to apply for the service and no fee for people with data plans over 5 GB 

iPhone A1586 (iPhone 6) and A1524 (iPhone 6 Plus) frequency bands (SoftBank and Sprint bands)
CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29)
TD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40, 41)

Only for the iPhone 6, for now

To do this requires the usage four separate technologies across multiple spectrum bands. SoftBank is a WCDMA carrier, but Sprint (like KDDI) is a CDMA-2000 carrier. While in Japan, the iPhone 6 would use SoftBank's WCDMA (1), FDD-LTE (2), and TD-LTE (3) networks. While in the US, it will use Sprint's CDMA-2000 (4) network, and (eventually), also their TD-LTE network. While some earlier iPhone models are technically compatible with Sprint, these will be excluded (presumably) because they are locked to the technology of the activation carrier. That is, an iPhone 5 activated on a WCDMA carrier can only ever be used with other WCDMA carriers. I guess that could be patched, but then that would remove the inducement to buy a new phone.

There are currently no other phones except for the iPhone 6 that support this combination of bands and technologies. SoftBank is considering releasing an Android phone that would also be compatible. An unlocked iPhone 6 will be ineligible for the all-you-can-america plan. It is also possible to expand usage to FDD-LTE bands 25 and 26 that Sprint is building out.

Coincidence or Planning?

The TD-LTE network that will provide the 4G data connection in the US was originally built out by Clearwire. Sprint at one point owned just over a 50% stake in Clearwire before scaling back to just under 50% in around 2011. Then after SoftBank CEO Son took control of Sprint and injected lots of cash, Sprint bought all the remaining Clearwire shares, obtaining a lot of spectrum and, by chance, a TD-LTE network, using the exact same frequency band (TD-LTE band 41, 2500 MHz) as SoftBank.

Makes me wonder how much that network figured into the decision.

iPhone 6 "Apple Pay" unavailable in Japan

As discussed many times on this blog, Japan uses Sony's FeliCa standard for mobile payments, such as Suica, Waon, Edy, etc. Quoting Eido Inoue:

FeliCa is Sony developed "Japanese NFC" and is much older than the international NFC system that was inspired by it. Early Japanese phones (smartphone and feature phones) were FeliCa only; newer (all 2014 models and most 2013 models) Japanese market Android docomo phones with NFC are hybrid NFC+FeliCa. Non-Japanese phones are NFC only.

The tech specs so far only list NFC as included on the iPhone 6. Perhaps you recall the debacle surrounding the advertising for the LTE iPad, which misled many non-US consumers to think it was compatible with their local 4G networks. This time around, the marketing department at Apple has done a much better job. There is simply no mention of "Apple Pay" at all on the Japanese website.

KDDI offer public Wi-Fi free to au smartphone users in Keio train cars

Sticker at stores/stations/cars showing Wi-Fi support

Starting Tuesday, June 16th, Keio train lines began offering Wi-Fi to all of its smartphone users (Android and iPhone) on the two Keio lines:

• Keio Line (京王線 {Keio-sen}): 698 cars
• Inokashira Line (井の頭線 {Inokashira-sen}): 145 cars

The Keio Railway supports much of western Tokyo, with trains running from Shibuya and Shibuya Stations to the western suburbs.

The two main public Wi-Fi services, "au Wi-Fi SPOT" and "Wi2 300", are supported; those who aren't au phone owners but subscribe to the Wi2 service will still be able to access the service. Docomo's Wi-Fi service, "Flets Spot" (フレッツ・スポット {Furettsu·Supotto}), is already supported.

These Wi-Fi services aren't complimentary to the general public: they're complimentary for most Japanese smartphone users. Why offer Wi-Fi to people that already have a LTE or 4G connection? A few reasons:

• Non-free Wi-Fi is almost always faster and has less latency (even compared to 4G) during rush hour when tens of millions of people are commuting and trying to use their phones all at the same time.
• The Wi-Fi connection will work not just at stations, but inside tunnels as well.
• Using the Wi-Fi does not count against monthly quotas your mobile data plan may have.

au's background helper app/widget
for Android

Because every carrier's "supplemental" Wi-Fi is not open, all the providers have provided applications (often with Android auto-connect apps/widgets or an automatic iPhone Profile) to allow you to connect to the Wi-Fi almost automatically without needing to authenticate through a "Wi-Fi capture portal".

I habitually connect to docomo Flets Spots — my current provider, although I've used them all — whenever I am at my commuting stations, as getting enough bandwidth to do something intensive (streaming video or updating an app) is very difficult during commuting rush hour.

In a previous post, I criticized the au Wi-Fi for its lack of coverage. It appears that KDDI is working to correct that deficiency by expanding its coverage beyond just au shop stores.

If you are a mobile phone user in Japan subscribed to a Japanese mobile plan and are frustrated by the performance of the network during peak usage times around the morning/evening commutes, you should probably consider configuring your phone to use your carrier's Wi-Fi for its subscribers.

NTT Docomo postpones the release of a Tizen phone

In this case, it's probably more like how a doctor "delays" administering treatment to a terminally ill patient while doing triage and gives morphine instead to ease the pain.

When plans for a Tizen phone were first announced, we were skeptical of the chances for success and of docomo's motives for release. At the time, the only consideration was Android and how it greatly hindered the carrier's abilities to charge money for things like putting a song on your phone or a new ringtone. Now that docomo has the iPhone, I really don't see Tizen in the picture. Making their services compatible also would have required a lot of resources, leaving little left for Tizen.

As data-based, alternate communication forms (Skype, Line, VoIP, hangouts) continue to eat into profits from voice calls, docomo is still looking for a way to increase revenue from premium content and related services because they are shifting 10% of their workforce, or roughly 2000 people to content and e-commerce.

For now, Tizen is not going to be their solution, which is probably a good thing.

Unlocked iPhone 5S and 5C on sale in Japanese Apple store

UPDATE: per a comment, the possibility has been raised that, even though this phone is unsubsidized and unconnected to any carrier, the settings may still cause problems with tethering on MVNOs. The XML preference file defining an APN has an option to set whether it allows tethering, and it could be possible that there is no way (without hacking the phone) to allow tethering with an MVNO.

If so, sorry iPhone lovers, but this is a total defect in iOS.

Well, that's a surprise.

iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C store pages are here.

You can take this to any Japanese mobile carrier and theoretically use it, but KDDI doesn't sell just SIM cards for unlocked phones, Softbank won't sell LTE SIM cards, and emobile doesn't have nano SIMs (so you'll need to chop down the SIM card). NTT Docomo will sell you a SIM card for this no problem, but you won't be able to get a docomo email address because sp mode can't be used with phones not sold from docomo.

I'd suggest to get the b-mobile "Free Data" SIM, which went on sale just today. Nice timing.

I turned out to be wrong that the docomo iPhone was locked out of MVNOs, but it cannot be used to tether with an MVNO (because the utility for creating the Carrier Profile won't allow an APN to be set for tethering). So, this unlocked one is the best way to get full iPhone functionality with an MVNO. The FAQ says that unlocked iPhone can do tethering.

Shipping times are showing one to two weeks for all colors and sizes, and the price ranges from ¥71,800 to ¥91,800.

As far as models go... I don't know which one is best. I guess it depends on where you tend to travel. Just don't get the CDMA versions.

Docomo iPhone 5S and 5C ARE compatible with MVNOs

However, there is a catch. According to the b-mobile compatibility page, LTE only works with voice SIMs. With a standard data-only SIM, you will only get a 3G signal.

LTE接続は音声SIMの場合にお使いいただけます。

LTE requires use of a voice SIM.

This leaves two options, ruling out most other MVNOs because they only offer data:

• Smartphone LTE SIM (スマホ電話SIM LTE)
• Aeon Smartphone SIM (イオン専用スマホ電話SIM)

In addition, a new carrier profile is needed, which is available from b-mobile. This also means that visitors without residency cannot get an LTE signal with an iPhone. Also, this carrier profile does not allow tethering.

I have absolutely no idea why is the problem with LTE and data SIMs, or what is preventing the phone from being able to tether, even with a different carrier profile.

NTT docomo does not prevent unbranded devices from connecting to LTE network

There are now several posts online that describe using the Nexus 7 LTE with various Japanese SIM cards. Unlike the iPhone (and just as I expected) there appear to be no problems getting a connection with an unlocked, unbranded device on docomo's "Xi" LTE network. LTE service, both direct from docomo and through an MNVO, works perfectly.

N7 APN settings (Image source).

Until now, we couldn't rule out a "server-side" origin for the problems that unlocked iPhone 5 users encounter when trying to connect to docomo LTE. This was because, except for those provided by docomo, there were no other LTE devices that supported docomo's primary LTE frequency (Band 1, 2100 MHz). We had two variables (iOS software and docomo servers), and one equation (Apple hardware), which is unsolvable.

We can now safely say that 3rd party devices are not subject to an across-the-board lock out from "Xi" LTE.

Prospects for unlocked iPhone 5S and 5C in Japan

It still remains unclear (due to lack of testing) what will happen when an unlocked iPhone 5S or 5C is brought to Japan. iOS is well known for disabling the ability to easily alter APN settings depending on the SIM card that is inserted. As mentioned in comments on another post, the iPhone Configuration Utility can be used to create configuration files that add new APNs, and this is used by some MVNOs to work around disabled APN settings. However, as I noted earlier, the docomo carrier bundle appears to prevent attaching to 3G and LTE networks with anything other than the sp-mode APN. If this is the case, it could render the configuration utility useless if these same rules are included on unlocked iPhones as well.

The sp-mode APN is filtered by IMEI number on the "server side." Only whitelisted devices (sold by docomo) can connect.

Nexus 7 LTE SIM options

The Shukan Ascii article compares different LTE SIMs in the Nexus 7. I'll briefly translate and summarize the contents in another post when I have more time.

In short, Docomo Xi SIMs work and are recommended by Shukan Ascii. You will need either:

1. a subscription to docomo's Mopera ISP (mopera.net APN) or
2. a contract with a docomo MNVO.

You cannot take a docomo SIM from a normal docomo LTE phone and put it in the Nexus 7. Most all docomo phones now use the sp-mode ISP. The Mopera ISP must be used.

A contract change was also required to get a KDDI SIM to work, but as I suspected, coverage is not the best (though better than expected in the Tokyo metro area). Emobile SIMs are not yet compatible pending a firmware update.

Shukan Ascii weren't able to get the Softbank LTE SIM to work with anything except regular 3G, but they admit they didn't try very hard. I know of at least one person claiming to have softbank LTE and an iPhone SIM card working with Android.

KDDI announces "U22" discount, one ups Docomo, Softbank

Looks like the guys at KDDI had to work late. This announcement showed up late last night. Following Softbank, KDDI has now matched Docomo's student discount. Three years waived voice fees and ¥1,050 discount on data.

This is better than the other two offers because it is not limited to students. Like Softbank, any LTE smartphone is eligible.

iPhone price war begins: Softbank matches Docomo's student discount

Softbank Mobile and KDDI, the existing two Japanese iPhone carriers offered (as usual) the exact same pricing and discounts. NTT Docomo, the new iPhone carrier, beat them in price in just about every category, the most significant being their Student discount.

This waived the base voice fee for 3 years and gave a discount on data of ¥1,050.

Of course, Softbank has now matched this, which comes as absolutely no surprise. No word from KDDI yet, but I assume they'll also match this discount.

Read the Softbank student discount announcement.

Nexus 7 LTE on sale in Japan

If you access the direct link for the LTE version on the play store, you can add the US version to your cart, and it indicates a 1-2 business days for shipping. However, on the official Japanese Nexus 7 site, it is currently listed as unavailable, though if you choose one of the other versions, you can change that for the LTE version (though the display language switches to English).

North America or European Version

Right now, only the US version is available from the play store in Japan. Both will work in Japan. Neither will grab the NTT Docomo's or KDDI's "800 MHz" bands. This is because there are a ton of bands that are called "800" (even "850" is sometimes called "800").

(Japanese frequency bands)

Docomo's "800" band is Band 19, and KDDI's is Band 18. The EU version supports Band 20, and there is not sufficient overlap on the downlink for this to support Docomo's low frequency (though the uplink does overlap). There is no overlap at all with KDDI at "800 MHz".

So, even though the EU version has "800 MHz" it won't have any benefit in Japan over the US version. This really won't matter at all for Docomo now because they don't seem to have deployed much LTE service on their "800 MHz" band.

North America: LTE Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 13, 17
Europe: LTE Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 20

(To display the above information from the official Japanese Nexus 7 site, click 技術仕様, then スペック情報を表示)

Recommended to avoid KDDI

I stand by my earlier claim that the Nexus 7 will suck on KDDI for the immediate future. There are currently problems with Verizon in the US, another CDMA-2000 carrier, who just like KDDI, has rolled out an LTE network. However, the reason for the Verizon suckage is totally different from the reason why KDDI will suck.

[LTE is an evolution of W-CDMA which is in turn an evolution of GSM. CDMA-2000 is based on CDMA. W-CDMA and CDMA-2000 are both "3G" and they are totally different and incompatible technologies.]

Verizon has the proper network to support the Nexus 7, but they refuse to do so, citing the inability to activate a line of service for the device because it lacks a CDMA-2000 radio. If this is true, it's just temporary and mainly an excuse. At activation, the clerk fills out a form on a computer. There is a field for the CDMA radio ID, and if that field is blank, then the the form can't be submitted. Easy to fix — update the activation system.

There are two reasons to avoid KDDI with the Nexus 7 LTE:

1. No CDMA-2000 radio in the Nexus 7 LTE, so the device can't fallback to "3G" when LTE is unavailable, which will be...
2. All the damn time because KDDI's supported LTE network uses Band 1 (2100 MHz), and they recently got busted misrepresenting the coverage, stating Band 1 covered almost everyone when it in fact covered almost nobody at all.

Problem 1 above will remain until Problem 2 is fixed. I'm sure KDDI is building out the Band 1 network as fast as possible. The issue with Verizon just shows how difficult it can be to deal with a CDMA carrier, some of which don't even have RUIM cards.

Nexus 7 as an indicator of unlocked iPhone 5S/C performance with a Docomo Xi SIM

The iPhone 5 technically supported Docomo's Xi network (Band 1, 2100 MHz), but it never really worked. Using an unlocked device with a Docomo contract requires using Mopera as the ISP, as opposed to sp-mode. There has been speculation whether the problems with the Mopera APN were purposely caused by Docomo, Apple, or both.

I think there should be no problems with the iPhone 5S or 5C with a Docomo contract and Mopera as the ISP. I'd speculate that an Apple carrier.plist preference file was denying a connection to Xi with a Docomo (44010) SIM. I could be wrong.

If you can bring an unlocked Nexus 7 LTE to Docomo and use the Mopera ISP with no problems, then it shows that the Docomo is NOT actively preventing non-branded devices from accessing the Xi network.

Docomo iPhone 2-year total cost is the least expensive - for some

Here is a comparison of the total cost (over a two year contract) of the iPhone 5S on the three Japanese carriers. If you believe it, the 2-year cost of a docomo iPhone is in all cases either less expensive, or the same cost, as rivals KDDI and Softbank Mobile (SBM).

This is not quite the case.

As I mentioned previously, docomo is more heavily subsidizing the hardware cost and offering the same subsidy to both existing and new customers. However, docomo's MNP (Mobile Number Portability) discount is only for one year unless:

• you are either a student (3 years) or
• you are a returning docomo customer (2 years)

If you are neither, then add ¥780 x 12 months (¥9,360) to the MNP prices in the screenshot above, and over 2 years you'll pay ¥147,960, ¥158,040, or ¥168,120 for the 16, 32 and 64 GB models, respectively. This is exactly ¥9,360 more than the 2-year cost with KDDI and SBM's MNP discount.

The highest and lowest

Considering the full possible range of prices, docomo wins. The absolute lowest 2-year cost of a docomo iPhone 5S is ¥113,400 for a 16 GB model with MNP and student discount. The highest cost is ¥177,480 for an existing customer (or one who doesn't port over a phone number from another carrier) for the 64 GB model.

For KDDI and SBM, the range is ¥138,600 to ¥198,800, which is ¥21,320 to ¥25,200 to more expensive than docomo.

From where does this difference originate? In the case of the most expensive, Docomo is offering the standard Xi voice plan price of ¥780, ¥200 less than the other's voice plan, which adds up to ¥4,800 over 2 years. The remaining ¥15,000 reflects Docomo offering the same hardware subsidy to existing customers. The difference in the least expensive price originates from the data discount offered to students.

Bottom Line

Docomo costs less if:

• you are a student (absolutely the best deal)
• you a returning docomo customer
• you have no existing mobile contract in Japan
• you are an existing AU or SBM customer

Docomo costs more if:

• you are not a former customer and porting over a number

Comparison of iPhone prices between Docomo KDDI and Softbank

Below is a table via engadget Japan comparing the subsidized final cost of the iPhone 5S and 5C for each carrier. NTT Docomo is not surprisingly the most aggressive with pricing, and they're the only one to offer the phone at the same price to both new and existing customers. The Docomo price for the 16GB 5C is not a typo.

Remember, these are subsidized prices. This is not the full retail price that you would owe if you cancelled your contract early. Docomo's unsubsidized prices are significantly higher than the other two carriers. The 16GB 5C costs well over ¥90,000 unsubsidized, which is nearly double the price of the though KDDI and Softbank.

For most people, this won't be an issue, but if there is any chance that you cannot complete your contract obligation, do not buy an iPhone from Docomo. Coming back to the 16 GB 5C, if you use it over the full two years, Docomo will pay you ¥ 6,300, but if you have to cancel after only a few months, you'll owe docomo close to ¥90,000.

	docomo	Kddi		Softbank
	New/Existing	New	Existing	New	Existing
iPhone 5S 64GB	¥20,160	¥20,640	¥34,680	¥20,640	¥34,680
iPhone 5S 32GB	¥10,080	¥10,320	¥24,480	¥10,320	¥24,480
iPhone 5S 16GB	¥0	¥0	¥14,160	¥0	¥14,160
iPhone 5C 32GB	¥0	¥4,800	¥14,160	¥4,800	¥14,160
iPhone 5C 16GB	-¥6,300	¥0	¥3,240	¥0	¥3,240

Nikkei: Docomo will NOT unlock iPhone

Yup, as we were beginning to expect, Docomo's push for the unlocking of cell phones to allow the switching of SIM cards between carriers was what we thought it was originally: A lame attempt to get the iPhone. After having gone on record and saying they'd unlock all their phones, now that they have the iPhone, it appears that they are not going to unlock it.

From the Nikkei:

ＮＴＴドコモが、20日に発売する米アップルの最新型スマートフォン（スマホ）「ｉＰｈｏｎｅ５ｓ」「同５ｃ」に対して特定の通信会社に利用を限定する「ＳＩＭロック」をかけることが明らかになった。同社が既存のスマホ向けに提供中のＳＩＭロックを解除できるサービスについても、ｉＰｈｏｎｅに関しては採用を見送る

It has become clear that the iPhone 5s and 5c will be sold by NTT Docomo with a SIM lock, preventing usage on other carriers. Docomo has decided not to adopt the same SIM unlock service available for it's other smartphones.

It's possible that if there is enough of an uproar, that Docomo could change their mind, but even if that happened, I wouldn't expect it this (fiscal) year.

NTT Docomo iPhone pricing, discount plans announced

The Docomo iPhone site is now live. Pre orders started from 4 pm today.

Docomo is offering up to 3 years of waived base fees, which typically costs ¥780 per month, along with an approximate ¥1,000 discount on the data plan for people port a number (MNP) from another carrier. This brings the minimum cost for those who qualify down to ¥4,725. Existing customers will pay about ¥6,500 per month. Docomo will also buy your Softbank or AU iPhones for up to ¥20,000 (in docomo points).

The price of the cheapest iPhone (16GB 5C) is less than the total subsidy such that an additional ¥525 is deducted from the monthly cost. This means the absolute cheapest monthly cost for an iPhone from Docomo is ¥4,200.

Here are a list (pdf) of important service roll out dates: Available from August 20. sp mode mail and related services from October 1. D marker services will mainly become available within October (like d hits, d shopping d video, etc.). Docomo's subscription music service will actually (surprise surprise) be available, but is not scheduled to start until December.

NOTTV, decoration mail, osaifu-keitai, DCMX mini and Docomo's integrated contacts will not be available.

Basic Fees

• Base voice fee: ¥780
• ISP (sp mode): ¥315
• Data: ¥ 5,460

Total: ¥6,555

Discounts

Here is the list of discounts for people switching from other carriers.

• Docomo Best Switch Student Discount: Base voice fee waived for 3 years, ¥1,050 data discount (requires MNP)
• Docomo Welcome Back Discount: Base voice fee waived for 2 years (requires MNP; must have previously been a Docomo customer)
• Docomo Best Switch Discount: Base voice fee waived for 1 year (requires MNP).
• Docomo iPhone trade in Program: 1,000 docomo points per month for up to 20 months (requires MNP)
  
  • iPhone 5: 20 months (64 GB), 18 months (32 GB), 16 months (16 GB)
  • iPhone 4S: 10 months (64 GB), 8 months (32 GB), 6 months (16 GB)
  • iPhone 4: 5 months (32 GB), 4 months (16 GB), 3 months (8 GB)
  • iPhone 3GS: 2 months
  • iPhone 3G: 1 month

As usual, the deal is not nearly as nice, for existing loyal customers:
iPhone upgrade plan: ¥420 discount per month offsetting the cost of a 16 GB 5s or 32 GB 5c to zero yen

• Plus iPhone discount: Base voice fee waived for 1 year, data cost of ¥4,935 for one year if you carry an i-mode feature phone AND an iPhone.

NTT Docomo apparently undecided on iPhone SIM locking

According to a shukan Ascii post, when asked via a phone interview if the Docomo iPhone can be unlocked just as any Docomo Android phone, a representative stated that "it is undecided at this point".

Perhaps it is, perhaps it's not. Allow me to refresh your memory regarding what Docomo said about SIM locking back during the debate. In an interview with the Yomiuri (that is of course no longer available online), here is what a a Docomo exec had to say (emphasis mine):

Yomiuri: It has been said that the reason for you to unlock SIMs is to bring Softbank's popular iPhone to Docomo.

Kouji Furukawa: I've heard that too, but the first priority is customer convenience and choice. The reason is to follow the MIC's clearly written guidelines. While the iPhone is most certainly selling extremely well now, I don't know if it still will be two to three years later. If we were to release a killer handset that everyone wanted, we would under no circumstances sell it locked to our network.

Well, if Docomo does not allow their iPhone to be unlocked, then it proves what we all new all along. That, contrary to what they maintained publicly, their entire push for SIM unlocking was exclusively about getting the iPhone.

Ishikawa Tsutsumu has indicated on twitter that it may indeed be locked.

Oh, and Docomo also isn't saying whether or not they'll carry the iPad.