Buying iPhone 4 without contract/breaking a Softbank contract

[philgp]

Hi, question here about getting an iPhone 4 in Japan. I don't live in Japan, but will be there for two weeks starting tomorrow. Was hoping to get an iPhone 4 while I'm around in Tokyo. I read that 16GB is Y46000, which is a huge discount over ﾂ≫??00.

However, I was told that it's impossible to get an iPhone 4 in Japan without a Softbank contract.

I have a long-term visa for Japan (child of Japanese national) so no worries about being registered as a Gaijin resident etc. Now, if I were to get a Softbank contract with an iPhone 4, how easy is it to cancel the contract during the first month? I heard somewhere that it is easy to cancel phone contracts in Japan, and it should be, since the iPhone price there is unsubsidised, and when you get an iPhone plan with Softbank, they build in future savings rather than subsidising at purchase.

Basically, cancelling a contract means the consumer forgoing future savings on the iPhone, as opposed to the consumer getting out of future debt obligations owed to the carrier (incurred at purchase of iPhone). Basically, if the consumer owes nothing, it should be easier on the carrier to allow cancellation of contract.

Is that the case? Can anyone from/in Japan tell me how easy it would be for me to get an iPhone either (a) without contract, or (b, and more likely) get an iPhone on Softbank contract, then break the contract in the first month and have an iPhone with no contract obligations (I will be jailbreaking the thing as soon as I get it home anyway, so no worries about the SIMlock).

Thanks in advance,

Phil

 

[Davey]

Any update on your search? Have you been to softbank yourself?

 

[aciara14]

Hi, question here about getting an iPhone 4 in Japan. I don't live in Japan, but will be there for two weeks starting tomorrow. Was hoping to get an iPhone 4 while I'm around in Tokyo. I read that 16GB is Y46000, which is a huge discount over ﾂ≫??00.
However, I was told that it's impossible to get an iPhone 4 in Japan without a Softbank contract.
I have a long-term visa for Japan (child of Japanese national) so no worries about being registered as a Gaijin resident etc. Now, if I were to get a Softbank contract with an iPhone 4, how easy is it to cancel the contract during the first month? I heard somewhere that it is easy to cancel phone contracts in Japan, and it should be, since the iPhone price there is unsubsidised, and when you get an iPhone plan with Softbank, they build in future savings rather than subsidising at purchase.
Basically, cancelling a contract means the consumer forgoing future savings on the iPhone, as opposed to the consumer getting out of future debt obligations owed to the carrier (incurred at purchase of iPhone). Basically, if the consumer owes nothing, it should be easier on the carrier to allow cancellation of contract.
Is that the case? Can anyone from/in Japan tell me how easy it would be for me to get an iPhone either (a) without contract, or (b, and more likely) get an iPhone on Softbank contract, then break the contract in the first month and have an iPhone with no contract obligations (I will be jailbreaking the thing as soon as I get it home anyway, so no worries about the SIMlock).
Thanks in advance,
Phil

You can cancel a Softbank contract, but the cost of canceling the contract would be 10,000-20,000 yen. This isn't so bad if you've been paying off the phone over a year or so on a two year contract, but if you pay for the phone up front, then it ends up being more expensive. (I'm assuming you would pay for the phone up front). As far as I know, I know you have to get a contract when buying an iPhone from Softbank.

Folks that don't pay up front make monthly payments, and then if they have a certain deal, those payments are subtracted so that the phone ends up free over time. However, if they cancel the contract, they have to pay the balance of the phone.

Hope that helps!

 

[stevejonathan10]

Yes, you can cancel Softbank contract with your iPhone 4 by paying fees (I don't remember the amount) and it would be quite costly to you.

 

[driani]

i think it's 9900 yen, exclude the usage of ur iphone