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Do you want to cut your communication costs? Here are the best deals in Japan now.

By on August 3, 2017
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The lure of purchasing a new handset in installments bundled with voice calls and data plan through major mobile phone carriers in Japan may sound attractive at first. But, if you do the math, you actually pay more over time than if you paid off your device.

Bic Camera sells a wide array of sim-free android gadgets and devices at various price points. If you need to stick to iPhone but don’t have much of a budget to buy in cash, you can apply for an Apple Loan. Apple Loan is running a campaign until September 12, 2017 that will allow you to pay for a device in 24 installments at 0% interest . If you want a second hand sim-free iPhone, try Easy Auction Japan for the best deals.

Once you have a sim-free phone, check out the different data plans and see which one best matches your needs. Presently, these 4 MVNO carriers offer the best deals in town.

Line Mobile (NTT Line) https://mobile.line.me/lp/?utm_source=ca_ad&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=affiliate
Monthly data and voice ¥1,200 (1 GB plan)
(Unlimited frequency on voice calls. 1 Voice call limited to 10 mins. for every outgoing call)
Rakuten Mobile (NTT Line) https://mobile.rakuten.co.jp/fee/option/unlimited_call/?scid=af_trf&trflg=1
Data (¥525/month) + Voice calls (¥1,250/month) 1 GB plan
DMM Mobile (NTT Line) http://www.dmm.com/pr/mvno/002/
Data (¥480/month) + Voice calls (¥1,260/month) 1 GB plan
(Unlimited frequency on voice calls. 1 Voice call limited to 5 mins. for every outgoing call)
Mineo (NTT/AU Line) http://mineo.jp/lp/lp_10.html?cid=DBNA000NANAAFEACT00000027150601
Data (¥700/month) + Voice calls (¥1,400/month) 1 GB plan
(Packet sharing with users allowed)

If you want to considerably cut down the cost of your mobile voice calls, NTT Communications has IP phone options tailored to your needs:
IF YOU’RE FINE WITH DATA SIM ONLY BUT WANT A CHEAP ‘PAY AS YOU GO’ VOICE CALL OPTION FOR OCCASIONAL CALLS -
050 Plus is a VOIP service offered by OCN Mobile One (NTT Communications) that allows you to do just that. The monthly fixed rate is just ¥150 for the use. Your 11-digit phone number starts with 050. You will only be charged when you make actual calls. Here are the calling rates:
Calls to a landline phone ¥8/3 mins + tax
Calls to a mobile phone ¥16/min + tax
Calls to a ‘050’ number - Free
IF YOU MAKE FREQUENT CALLS BUT WANT THE CHEAPEST OPTION -
While apps that let you make free internet phone calls such as Skype, Viber, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, fring, Snapchat, Telegram and ooVoo are great when you’re calling from a wi-fi environment, phone calls made over a data network often have a higher voice quality. If this is the case, the service that’s right for you is OCN’s unlimited call option.
OCN Mobile offers unlimited calls for ¥850 a month provided each call does not exceed 10 minutes. An extra charge of ¥10 for every 30-second extension applies.
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