I live in Beijing but I'm going over to Japan over the summer.
I took one look at iPhone 4 prices over there, and decided straight away, I'm getting one. JPY46,000 for 16GB is **** cheap (roughly CNY3650). Originally I wanted an unlocked one from UK/HK, but the huge savings may clinch this one for me (unlocked iPhone 4 is £500 in UK), not to mention I won't be going to HK or UK for a while and I don't want to wait!
I have a couple questions:
-To clarify some jargon, does "unlocking" mean that I get to use any SIM card in it, and "jailbreaking" means the same thing PLUS I get to download apps from places other than iTunes app store?
-Is it the case that "Unlocking" can be "legally" (if by a mobile carrier), but "jailbreaking" voids Apple warranty (although not strictly "illegal")?
-Will I definitely need to unlock/jailbreak my phone to use it anywhere OTHER than Japan?
-If I buy just an iPhone 4 (no contract) in Japan, jailbreak it for use abroad, then move to Japan eventually (I am hoping to move there in a year or so), will I be able to get a Softbank micro SIM without buying another handset (my question is, can you buy a standalone micro SIM from Softbank, seeing as they only offer micro-SIMs for iPhone 4 and not for any other handset)?
-Is it possible to jailbreak for free? I don't wish to have to pay some shady dealer to jailbreak every time the iOS is updated.
Is there anything else I should consider before making this decision?
I took one look at iPhone 4 prices over there, and decided straight away, I'm getting one. JPY46,000 for 16GB is **** cheap (roughly CNY3650). Originally I wanted an unlocked one from UK/HK, but the huge savings may clinch this one for me (unlocked iPhone 4 is £500 in UK), not to mention I won't be going to HK or UK for a while and I don't want to wait!
I have a couple questions:
-To clarify some jargon, does "unlocking" mean that I get to use any SIM card in it, and "jailbreaking" means the same thing PLUS I get to download apps from places other than iTunes app store?
-Is it the case that "Unlocking" can be "legally" (if by a mobile carrier), but "jailbreaking" voids Apple warranty (although not strictly "illegal")?
-Will I definitely need to unlock/jailbreak my phone to use it anywhere OTHER than Japan?
-If I buy just an iPhone 4 (no contract) in Japan, jailbreak it for use abroad, then move to Japan eventually (I am hoping to move there in a year or so), will I be able to get a Softbank micro SIM without buying another handset (my question is, can you buy a standalone micro SIM from Softbank, seeing as they only offer micro-SIMs for iPhone 4 and not for any other handset)?
-Is it possible to jailbreak for free? I don't wish to have to pay some shady dealer to jailbreak every time the iOS is updated.
Is there anything else I should consider before making this decision?
