Japan Handphone System 101 (From Dummy to Dummy: Beware!)

Last 16 of October I finally bought my new phone, the HTC One. Just for information, based on my and my friend actual market research (uncool language: went to so much electronic store and see the price chart like stupid, hard to understand the kanji and system; and compare several types of phone type), we found that Iphone series is the cheapest here. 

But why I choose HTC One? Several reasons:

• I dont like Iphone very much. The system is confusing, too exclusive ‘cause most of good application  we have to pay for it (I’m cheapo minded okay), not compatible to other phone.
• TOO MAINSTREAM here in Japan. It’s like EVERYONE using IPhone like theres no other phone on earth beside IPhone. I don’t know why and since when but I always hate something too mainstream (especially about handphone), when so many people use it, I won’t use the same thing. Last time I use Blackberry too because my family used bb, I was kinda forced to buy that so we can use bbm together. Finally change my phone
• Even though it’s cheap, the stock kinda fucked up here. Almost every store out of stock of IPhone, you have to go indent and order until we-don’t-know-when-the-stock-will-come amount of period. It’s just like, what?? Seriously
• My brother use HTC One too. He said it is good, I believe, I buy. Live simply.

Okay, enough for my reason. Next I will explain a little bit and as simple as possible about handphone system in Japan. I try to search for the simplest explanation on web but cannot find it. Now that I understand it a little bit, why not share? 

•  In Japan, you cannot buy only the number only or the phone only. They use contract system: Handphone + provider (number), that usually bonds for 2 years. If you want to break the contract, you have to pay some penalty. So, if you only stay in Japan for a short time, try to search free wifi, or rent a phone. I was told that we can rent a phone in airport. I cannot confirm this one, because I have never rent a phone before
• In Japan, there are 3 providers of phone business: Docomo, Softbank and AU. Docomo signal is the best, but the most expensive too. AU signal is ok, kinda fucked up in handphone,  however the price is quite good. Softbank is the averagely the cheapest, but the signal is not that good too. However, for AU and Softbank, you can have free call with the same provider in several period of time a day, while for Docomo, you have to pay more for this kind of service. When I say that Iphone is the cheapest, It is the cheapest even with the 3 provider fee.
• You have to have a bank account first before you can buy a phone. Because the payment method either will be paid manually in konbini or directly deducted from your bank account. 
• For the 2 years contract, every month roughly you pay for: phone price + provider service (internet) + additional call charges (if make paid calls for example to other provider) + additional services (such as tethering, emergency message and so on). Picture below is the example of my services that they give which is the highlighted one (I'm sorry it's all in Japanese):

Let me get you a very, very simple explanation one:

For example here is my payment chart (HTC One + AU):

1. Phone Price Discount             - 680 yen      *I’m not quite understand about this one.
2. Provider Service                       9400 yen   *(unlimited, but over 7GB will be slowed down from 40 mb/s to around several kb/s I think)
3. Additional phone charge           unknown    *(haven’t received my first bill yet)
4. Additional services              unknown   *(usually they give free promotion for 1 month for several additional services, after that either you stopped it or continue with additional fee: for example all my services I was given in the paper above, several of them I have to stopped it or else they will charge it for the next month.)
5. And the other combination of elements that I didn't remember it anymore that makes this is total for roughly I pay minimum about 8700 yen per month for my phone for about 2 years. Let’s cry for bankruptcy!!!

However, pay attention that we have to make initial payment in the day we buy the phone. It is different per provider and per phone type. Mine, I only pay 30.000 yen for initial charge but 8700 yen per month for 2 years. While my friend pay roughly around 90.000 yen at the beginning but only around 2500 yen monthly (Iphone 5S 64GB + Softbank).

     Quite confusing eh? When I buy the phone I was given the detailed list of fee alright but there’s so much element that I forgot most of them (they don’t give us the list, I guess it’s a secret?). So, Please don’t ask me about something so detailed about the price system. I only explained it in a dummy way and as far as I can understand

     And pay attetion that not all phone sold with charger included. They sold it separately. I was kinda pissed off when I have to pay more for my phone charger. They sold the charger with their own brand, on my case its AU charger. 

     I was like, what?? Is this common practice?? In my country before it is usually not like this. Phone comes with the set of charger. I have to pay about 900 yen more for the charger. Ugh.

I have once calculated and converted  my phone bills in Rupiah.  And now I regretted it, making my life more miserable:

1. All amount I roughly will pay for 2 years is 30.000 yen (initial payment for what I don’t really know) + 8700 yen x 24 months = 238.800 yen. 
2. Converted to Rupiah is  238.800 yen x Rp 120 = Rp 28.656.000. 
3. This amount deducted but HTC One phone price  in Indonesia for about Rp 7.500.000 in rupiah which make it Rp 21.156.000. 
4. And then assume this money is used for monthly bill in Indonesia for 2 years. If want to count it monthly = Rp 21.156.000 : 24 months = Rp 881,500 per month!!!

I even never used more than Rp 100.000 phone bills per month in Indonesia for my whole life!!!! This is insanity WTF WTF I go dieeee. 

EH, not after I finish this blog.

I hope this one help! *sob*

See ya on the next post!!