Softbank or AU

bcrAn Member

From: 名古屋 Registered: 2011-04-29 Posts: 244

I am going to buy the new iPhone as soon as I can and I was wondering which provider is better, what do I need to know, what's the bottom line?

Last edited by bcrAn (2011 October 05, 3:31 am)

jettyke Member

From: 九州 Registered: 2008-04-07 Posts: 1194

Yeah, that's what I want to know too. the pros and cons.
I wanna get an android

Last edited by jettyke (2011 October 05, 6:07 am)

caivano Member

From: Tokyo Registered: 2010-03-14 Posts: 705

This might help http://t.co/t2U9DMX9

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jessui Member

From: Tokyo Registered: 2008-06-16 Posts: 26

通信速度
【SB】下り最大14.4Mbps／上り最大5.76Mbps
【au】下り最大3.1Mbps 上り最大1.8Mbps

Why such a gap? ;_; I'm already on AU and I've been thinking about getting the iPhone...

Last edited by jessui (2011 October 05, 7:35 pm)

Jarvik7 Member

From: 名古屋 Registered: 2007-03-05 Posts: 3946

The reason is that au's network is old and outdated..

I actually don't think anyone I know uses au anymore, everyone is either Softbank or Docomo.

Don't forget that Docomo is another option with better reception if you can get your hands on an unlocked unit.

Last edited by Jarvik7 (2011 October 05, 10:30 pm)

Mennon Member

From: Okazaki Registered: 2008-12-11 Posts: 38

BcrAn, I would love a summary of what kind of deal you eventually get and how much it costs. Thinking of getting one to.

JimmySeal Member

From: Kyoto Registered: 2006-03-28 Posts: 2279

jessui wrote:
通信速度
【SB】下り最大14.4Mbps／上り最大5.76Mbps
【au】下り最大3.1Mbps 上り最大1.8Mbps

Why such a gap? ;_; I'm already on AU and I've been thinking about getting the iPhone...

Must be nice to have enough spare money lying around for this to matter. I have a smartphone, but use data very sparingly when I'm not on a LAN.

Last edited by JimmySeal (2011 October 06, 12:18 am)

SomeCallMeChris Member

From: Massachusetts USA Registered: 2011-08-01 Posts: 787

How many more viable carrier choices are there with Android than with iPhone?
And you have to jump through hoops to buy things from both the Japanese and American iTunes stores, is that made any better or worse with an Android?

(I have no idea how people get Android apps, really, having an iPhone myself... but it's near to needing replacing. I suppose that I'll have to replace -again- if/when I get to Japan because of different protocols no matter which technology or carrier I choose... )

Jarvik7 Member

From: 名古屋 Registered: 2007-03-05 Posts: 3946

JimmySeal wrote:
jessui wrote:
通信速度
【SB】下り最大14.4Mbps／上り最大5.76Mbps
【au】下り最大3.1Mbps 上り最大1.8Mbps

Why such a gap? ;_; I'm already on AU and I've been thinking about getting the iPhone...
Must be nice to have enough spare money lying around for this to matter. I have a smartphone, but use data very sparingly when I'm not on a LAN.

iPhones are on unlimited data plans (or optionally a plan that caps around 5000 yen) in Japan.

Is they weren't I'd be using around $3000 of data per month according to my bill.

Last edited by Jarvik7 (2011 October 06, 12:51 am)

bcrAn Member

From: 名古屋 Registered: 2011-04-29 Posts: 244

I am getting it asa it becomes available and let you know all the aftermath.

I want the iPhone with the unlimited data plan, but I want to make sure it's truly unlimited and it has not extra hidden costs.

Jarvik7 Member

From: 名古屋 Registered: 2007-03-05 Posts: 3946

It is truly unlimited - I've been using it for the past two years. Just don't do something stupid like tether it and then download bluray isos over torrent.

bcrAn Member

From: 名古屋 Registered: 2011-04-29 Posts: 244

Good news then.

blndcat New member

From: Osaka Japan Registered: 2011-06-30 Posts: 4

AU or SB?

I'm on SB with my iPhone 3G. I think I can upgrade to the 4S. If I switch, it will cost me about 10,000 to cancel my auto-renewed contract.

About download speeds, I wouldn't use that as a factor in deciding. They are theoretical and SB have been known to throttle your downloads/uploads once you use a certain amount of bandwidth, and as iPhone user you will reach that.

Two things I would think about are:

1. coverage
SB is weaker, AU stronger. Lots of complaints about SB's coverage, and I've noticed it myself travelling between 2 large cities, there would be a loss of coverage at certain points.

2. price of plan
AU up until now have been more expensive on their unlimited data plans. If you don't call much, and just use data on SB you can have a bill as low as 6800 including the cost of the iPhone. On AU with their smartphones, it would be closer to 8500. Maybe they will come out with a special plan for the iPhone, the same as SB did. If they don't I probably won't be switching.

One final thing to consider is what network the majority of your friends are on.

syntoad Member

From: Amagasaki Registered: 2006-11-05 Posts: 49

SomeCallMeChris wrote:
How many more viable carrier choices are there with Android than with iPhone?
And you have to jump through hoops to buy things from both the Japanese and American iTunes stores, is that made any better or worse with an Android?

On Android your store account is linked to your google account. Switching between markets does not affect any purchased apps. I think the reason you have to jump through hoops with the iTunes store is because they also sell music and videos, so there are copyright and export issues. The android market is apps only.

Last edited by syntoad (2011 October 06, 8:24 pm)

coverup Member

From: 神戸 Registered: 2008-05-21 Posts: 111

Those measurements are meaningless because of the bottleneck of SB's network. See the website http://softbanksucks.blogspot.com/2011/ … rison.html for more technical info

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jessui wrote:

JimmySeal wrote:

jessui wrote:

SomeCallMeChris wrote: