used iphones....

there is a place in tokyo that sells used iphones?

In addition where can i buy a new iphone 4 in tokyo and how much it costs?

tnx :)

there is a place in tokyo that sells used iphones?

in akihabara on the main road (Chuo dori), towards Suehirocho Metro Station, there are a fair few used computer/phone stores that have used iPhones. Mind you I didn't think they were cheap, around 30,000 yen for the cheapest 3G model. Better off paying more to get the new iPhone4.

Or you can try the metropolis magazine, I see a few pop up now and again:
http://classifieds.metropolis.co.jp/

Not sure how much a new iPhone4 costs.

A new iphone 4 costs 47000 yen for the 16gb model and 58000 yen for the 32gb model. They are sold at Softbank stores, however you cannot buy one there unless you are a resident of Japan.

If you are a visitor to Japan, you need to know that they will all be locked to the SoftBank mobile network.

I have seen a few unlocked ones in Akihabara, but only a handful.

i saw that there is an apple store in tokyo ,they also don't sell the iphone 4 for tourists there?

The apple store site lists that you need to fulfill Softbank's contract requirements which means that non-residents will not qualify to buy an iphone.

http://mb.softbank.jp/mb/iphone/welcome/started01.html

The iPhone will soon be operable on Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo, thanks to a new service offered by Japan Communications. Nikkei reports that Japan Comm will soon offer a SIM card for unlocked iPhones�licensed Japanese iPhone carrier SoftBank sells carrier-locked units� hat allows them to operate on NTT DoCoMo�fs network. Japan Communications plans to bypass the carrier locks by selling unlocked iPhone 4 units for roughly 60,000 yen, or roughly $715, with service running 6,260 a month, or about $75.

Docomo has the same residency requirements for contract service so will this benefit the OP who wants to purchase an iphone as a tourist? For example, will Japan Communications sell unlocked iphones off contract, and for how much?

Will docomo sell unlocked iPhone 4?
YES

Will it be sold only with a contract ?
I dont know, but whats the point in having an unlocked phone if it is tied to a contract?

I guess once we get unlocked iphones in circulation then carriers will start offering up prepaid SIM cards too ?

All I know is what they said in the news recently...
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/iphone-4-comes-to-docom...

anyway I guess the good thing about UNLOCKED iphone is for temporary residents/tourists you can use it in your home country if you decide to go back home someday!

Looks interesting, but a quick note, it looks like only the SIM is sold by Docomo, while the phone is sold by a third party importer. That must be how they're getting around the carrier exclusivity agreement with softbank.

Will it be sold only with a contract ?
I dont know, but whats the point in having an unlocked phone if it is tied to a contract?

Good point, and since its being sold by a third party, not Docomo, that means the chances are very high that it will come without a contract.

I guess once we get unlocked iphones in circulation then carriers will start offering up prepaid SIM cards too ?

Softbank and Au have had prepaid SIM cards for years, and there are a few new third party services that operate on Docomo's network, so I wouldn't count on much more of a prepaid boom. But I'm with you in hoping these services are expanded. There's nothing lost by having more choices.

anyway I guess the good thing about UNLOCKED iphone is for temporary residents/tourists you can use it in your home country if you decide to go back home someday!

Don't forget about jailbreaking, but yea if you want to keep your warranty you're gonna have to pay the premium for it.

Lets see how all of this develops over the next few months.

yeah I know we can buy prepaid here for years...

but when tourists try to buy a prepaid SIM to put in their legally unlocked handset the Japanese carriers like softbank etc look at them like criminals and almost always refuse to sell it to them without a handset.
I mean maybe with this news the attitude will change...but at the moment japan thinks jailbroken or unlocked = dodgy yakuza/foreign gangster

Yes, it can be difficult to get the standalone SIM considering there really isn't a widespread market for them. Maybe things will change in that department.

Probably not gonna help you if you actually look like a dodgy gangster though ;)

What I'm more interested in is prepaid SIMs with unlimited internet plans. Most current SIMs don't allow internet, and the ones that do are prohibitively expensive (ten times the cost of unlimited data compared to a contract plan). There are a few companies set to enter the market soon, so hopefully we'll get some competition in that area.

Anyway, back to the original question. Right now it looks like your best option to buy a new iphone 4 in Japan is by third party vendors in Akihabara. I would expect there to be a markup of a few ten thousand yen over the official softbank prices, but that's just speculation. Maybe by the time you get to Japan there will be more options available.

There is an easy way to buy a Prepaid SIM....

Go to Akihabara, and buy a second hand Softbank 3G phone. I bought one a while back for 2900yen (705px). Take it to Softbank Roppongi, and get a SIM for it!!!!

Sandy - do I have to be a resident to do that (ie buy a 2nd hand phone and sim card) or have an alien card? I go to japan 2-3x/year for work and holidays and i thought it would be good to get a cheap 2nd hand one to use while there as it will be so much cheaper then roaming with vodafone while there.