SIM Cards

Until about a year ago I thought there was no GSM coverage in Japan. Now I see that Vodafone offers GSM coverage.

I was wondering if you can pick up a pre-paid SIM card at the airport or in the city, like I do when I travel in Europe. Also, what frequency is Vodafone using? 900MHz and 1800MHz (EU) or 1900MHz (US)?

I think Vodafone only provide the GSM service to people using their 3G network and handsets.
You may need to check.

you cannot use your GMS phone unless your phone is a W-CDMA 3G phone. And the 3G phones use USIM cards, not SIM card. In addition, no prepaid USIM cards are available in Japan now. You have to be a resident here, if you want to get the USIM card of vodafone japan. No tourists can buy them in Japan now.

So if you want to use your phone in Japan, only the roaming service of your carrier is the only option even if you have vodafone's 3G phone.

It's not the answer I wanted to hear, but it is the best explanation I heard.

Thanks!

As I undersood, reading the previous posts, I can't buy a 3G mobile phone in Japan until I'm resident, rite?
If it's true I can't buy a DoCoMo's 3G mobile (without the usim)...
It's a pity: I was thinkin to buy a DoCoMo's mobile and use it with a 3's usim (they use the same UMTS standard).

A SIM card can be inserted into a UMTS phone and it will work on GSM networks, as it does with 3 in the uk. If you put an 02 GSM sim into an unlocked 3 phone, it will connect to 02 no problem.

It depends if the phone is unlocked.

is the only sim lock free 3G phone in Japan, but is extremely expensive and inconvenient here. It cost you 73,290yen and you cannot use "vodafon live" or e-mail service with which Japanese carriers usually provide in Japan.
Basically, all 3G phone are sim-locked.

| A SIM card can be inserted into a UMTS phone and it will work on GSM networks, as it does with 3 in the uk.

Precisely this is not the case in Japan, where UMTS(W-CDMA) networks exist but NO GSM NETWORK EXISTS.

You can roam with your GSM SIM and W-CDMA phone in Japan, but it is nothing but W-CDMA roaming; not that you are using GSM network.

As I known, Nokia 7600 can uses with GSM SIM for most of GSM operator in EU and Asia. who knows is there any other handsets in japancan do the same with the above handset.
Thanks.

None. All Japanese phones that use a (U)SIM card are locked.

ihave mobail V801sh in japan now can i used it in my country Egypt when go bake after concel laine hear?

You can use it with Vodafone Japan's USIM card.

To Naup
Yes, you can use your Nokia 7600 in many counties when you buy it in your country or in Japan. But there is no prepaid USIM card, so you'll have to pay really expensive bill for your roaming, or you need to be a resident to rent an USIM card of vodafone Japan when you bring it to Japan.
And Nokia 7600 is the only 3G sim lock free phone available in Japan, but extremely expensive compared with other phones in Japan. Some say that Japanese carriers are reluctant to pay their incentives to sim lock free phones.

To mostafa
It would be just a rumor, but I read some posts in Japanese BBS saying in Thailand you can unlock the sim lock of V801SA. I don't know when you'll come back, but if I find something useful, I'll tell you that here as long as I remember.

Hi,
i understand that tourists cannot purchase a ntt docomo phone (i am interested in a sony so505is). However, technically speaking, can the phone be taken from Japan and used in the UK on their 3G network, please assume that the phone can be made sim-free/unlocked.
ta

However, technically speaking, can the phone be taken from Japan and used in the UK on their 3G network,

FOMA phones are incompatible with foreign W-CDMA networks.
Vodafone Japan 3G phones (such as V801SA/SH) can do it.

Japanese Phones that use usim cards, in other words Vodafone KK global standard phones run the sim at a different voltage than non japanese GSM and cdma phones. The sim will run on the non Japanese phones as they are backward compatable. But the phones are not. Getting your Japanese Vodafone unlocked can be tricky. but if you speak to the right people at Vodafone uk it is possible, but it will cost £35 and is pointless because of the different voltage that sim runs off. I used my vodfone uk sim a Sony Z1010 in Uk and Japan and it works. Forget Japanese Phones. Why? Because the Japanese don't want you having the best technology if you aint Japanese.

are the Vodaphone V601sh/t phones 3G - W-CDMA ??
can anyone list all the vodafone 3G w-CDMA phone models ?? where can I get the phone specifications in english.

JediBUZ,
how do you know that the USIM in japan operates at a different voltage than SIM.
where can I get technical information about vodafone 3G w-CDMA models ???
-cranky

I was wondering, where is the SIM chip on the sony SO505iS? i can not find it anywhere on the phone. does anyone know where it is?

Vodafone uk (not the idiots in the call centre) told me that the v801 ran the sim at a different voltage. A feature to stop foreigners using their sims in them. Obviously I don't know 100% if this is true but the amount of effort this guy put in for me getting all kinds of information including the unlock code from vodafone kk for ime number of my phone (v801) I assume he tells the truth. I don't know if the new batch of phones will carry the same security feature as they are more or less the same as the non Japanese 3g phones Released by Vodafone in late November.

Vodafone KK
http://www.vodafone.jp/english/products/domestic.html

Vodafone 3G
http://www.vodafone.com/article_with_thumbnail/0,3038,CATEGORY_ID%253D210%2526LANGUAGE_ID%253D0%2526CONTENT_ID%253D245139,00.html

This web site has specs on UK and JP 3g and gsm modles also www.3g.co.uk is quite useful