[bossyboyjp]

I currently use the 9700 on the ntt docomo network in Tokyo. I will be in the US soon and thought I would pick up a 9900 or 9930.
Does anyone know which is best to get for japan? Verison is cheaper outright at 509 usd.
Appreciate the advise.

[habicht]

9900

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[bossyboyjp]

is because the 9930 wont work?

[Schlymer]

Let me know if you buy one and it works here. I was told if I buy either and bring it to Japan, they will not work. I hope docomo will just start releasing the new bb phones instead of waiting a year to release new phones.

[USSZulu]

I am not quite sure if I understand this correctly, but from the research I did it almost sounded like Japan uses some odd flavor of CDMA. Something called W-CDMA? o.O Never heard of it. I don't think its the same type that is used in the states. Does anyone else know what this is? I'm curious myself even though I am not going to Japan. lol.

[dcgore]

I currently use the 9700 on the ntt docomo network in Tokyo. I will be in the US soon and thought I would pick up a 9900 or 9930.
Does anyone know which is best to get for japan? Verison is cheaper outright at 509 usd.
Appreciate the advise.

There are two kinds of 9900. One that supports bands 1,2,5,6 and another one that supports bands 1,4,8.

Check your device in the about screen in the settings and look for the bands supported. If have the 1,2,5,6; then you need an at&t one (9900 wont come out until November) but if you have the 1,4,8; then you can use a tmobile USA one (available Aug 31st).

For the 1,2,5,6 you can also look at blackberries from Rogers, Bell and Tellus in Canada. For the 1,4,8, Wind Mobile in Canada.

Keep in mind that regardless of what device you need to use, you'll have to unlock it so that it can be used in Japan.

[bossyboyjp]

There are two kinds of 9900. One that supports bands 1,2,5,6 and another one that supports bands 1,4,8.

Check your device in the about screen in the settings and look for the bands supported. If have the 1,2,5,6; then you need an at&t one (9900 wont come out until November) but if you have the 1,4,8; then you can use a tmobile USA one (available Aug 31st).

For the 1,2,5,6 you can also look at blackberries from Rogers, Bell and Tellus in Canada. For the 1,4,8, Wind Mobile in Canada.

Keep in mind that regardless of what device you need to use, you'll have to unlock it so that it can be used in Japan.

thanks, below is what was in my about device

BlackBerryR 9700
smartphone (3G, Wi-Fi)
6.0 Bundle 2647 (v6.0.0.600, Platform 6.6.0.223)
3G Bands 1,4,8
Cryptographic Kernel v3.8.6.5
Branding Version: 1.0.141.227N
Micro Edition Configuration: CLDC-1.1
Micro Edition Profile: MIDP-2.1
Micro Edition JTWI Version: 1.0
Micro Edition Media Version: 1.1
Micro Edition PIM Version: 1.0
Micro Edition File Version: 1.0
Micro Edition Bluetooth Version: 1.1
Micro Edition Location Version: 1.0.1
Micro Edition Security and Trust Services (APDU) Version: 1.0
WLAN Version: 4.3.0.85
Cell Phones, Smartphones & Mobile Phones from BlackBerry.com
Copyright c 1997-2010
Research In Motion Limited.
All rights reserved.

i will leave the US early on the 31st.... so was hoping to go to verison to buy the 9930.... does the above not work with this?
i will of course get it unlocked.
appreciate your help!

[dcgore]

thanks, below is what was in my about device

BlackBerryR 9700
smartphone (3G, Wi-Fi)
6.0 Bundle 2647 (v6.0.0.600, Platform 6.6.0.223)
3G Bands 1,4,8
Cryptographic Kernel v3.8.6.5
Branding Version: 1.0.141.227N
Micro Edition Configuration: CLDC-1.1
Micro Edition Profile: MIDP-2.1
Micro Edition JTWI Version: 1.0
Micro Edition Media Version: 1.1
Micro Edition PIM Version: 1.0
Micro Edition File Version: 1.0
Micro Edition Bluetooth Version: 1.1
Micro Edition Location Version: 1.0.1
Micro Edition Security and Trust Services (APDU) Version: 1.0
WLAN Version: 4.3.0.85
Cell Phones, Smartphones & Mobile Phones from BlackBerry.com
Copyright c 1997-2010
Research In Motion Limited.
All rights reserved.

i will leave the US early on the 31st.... so was hoping to go to verison to buy the 9930.... does the above not work with this?
i will of course get it unlocked.
appreciate your help!

The verizon one will work but not fully. Its UTMS frequencies are 900 and 2100 and you need 1700 for the 3G band to work. You need the Tmobile handset that comes out on the 31st or look at Wind Mobile in Canada.

[bossyboyjp]

got it! thanks for your support!
sucks i need to get the one when i leave!

[jedwards73]

I would be interested in hearing more about this topic and/or hearing how your situation turns out.

I and some of my co-workers have traveled to Japan using 9650 and 9550's. Both of which only have 2100. To us the phones seem to work fine. We can make and receive calls, emails, and web browsing. Now maybe we are missing out on some coverage because we only have 2100 and we just don't know it.

Though come to think of it, there was something about text messages. I think we got better coverage when we set our phones to GSM/UTMS but could not send text messages. We could send text messages on 1XEV, but coverage was more spotty. Or something like that.

Though in our case we are roaming and not actually customer of ntt docomo.

[bossyboyjp]

will keep you posted

[akhenaton]

my rogers torch 9800 (3G bands: 1, 2, 5, 6) always gets full 3G access in Japan, I roam there frequently...from wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTT_DoCoMo):

Docomo was spun off from Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) in August 1991 to take over the mobile cellular operations. It provides 2G (mova) PDC cellular services on the 800 MHz band, and 3G FOMA W-CDMA services on the 2 GHz (UMTS2100) and 800 MHz(UMTS800(Band VI)) and 1700 MHz(UMTS1700(Band IX)) bands. Its businesses also included PHS (Paldio), paging, and satellite. Docomo ceased offering a PHS service on January 7, 2008.

Also from wikipedia, check the chart of all the bands:

UMTS frequency bands - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

basically #1 (UMTS 2100) is the key...and it's pretty much on all blackberries sold by US/Canadian carriers...so i think you should be fine...your phone (1,4,8) works in Japan and so does mine, so i think all are good!!!

[bossyboyjp]

i have someone from RIM coming to our company next week - i will ask him and see what he says!
akhenaton, your info was helpful! thanks!

[Deterence]

I also used my Telus Torch there last year as well.

If anyone is interested, I turned off my radio when I was in the house and threw wi-fi was able to connect to BIS and I used BBM and received my email etc, without incurring any roaming charges :-)

[bossyboyjp]

All, this was the reply regarding if I could use the 9930 in japan

"9930 can support 3G network, however it can connect to only 2.1GHz frequency band.
Fortunately, Docomo uses 2.1GHz here in Japan, however the coverage is very limited.
Moreover, 2.1GHz is very high frequency and a radio refractivity is low,
meaning this particular band can easily be affected by noise.
A greater part of Docomo’s network is 800MHz, and all the BlackBerry we sell thru Docomo supports 800MHz.
*
To come right to the point, yes, 9930 can be used here in Japan,
but considering the coverage support, we do not recommend it."

I found it funny as I thought that the 9930 had a 800mhz frequency.

[Goniff]

Any updates on the use of 9930 in Japan with Docomo? I will be in Japan in three days, so I am interested if it will work. I am renting a Docomo sim card.

[soo007]

I currently use the 9700 on the ntt docomo network in Tokyo. I will be in the US soon and thought I would pick up a 9900 or 9930.
Does anyone know which is best to get for japan? Verison is cheaper outright at 509 usd.
Appreciate the advise.

both 9900 and 9930 will work with ntt (3g band 1)

however on the 9930 you may need a workaround if you want to use the browser (do a search for "tmobile service books cdma blackberry"). you will be able to use data on your 9930 but you will not be able to tether with the 9930 and i am not sure if you'll be able to use hotspot as well.

the 9900 will give you no problems unless ntt puts restrictions on "foreign" phones (that is phones that are not sold in japan i.e. an iphone from att or blackberry from tmobile). you may not be able to send mms messages for example. i've experienced this type of restriction with sk telecom but as of march 2011 sk lifted all restrictions and ntt should have followed (korean and japanese comm laws are similar).

the best it would be if you get a 9900 with 3g bands 1,2,5,6 as ntt supports bands 1 and 6 (where band 6 is japan specific, actually ntt specific). but a 9900 with bands 1,4,8 will be just as good.

[takuma089]

9900. Since docomo will launch it on feb or march.

[jfmanzo]

The 9930 has only 800 band on CDMA, not HSPA. It has HSPA 900/2100, so it'll work on most 3G bands around the world but apparently not as well on some Japanese providers that deploy HSPA 800. The 9900 has no CDMA; it (as long as we're talking about the ATT/Rogers/Telus/Bell version) does have HSPA 800/850/1900/2100 so you're good to go in Japan.

[soo007]

i wouldn't worry about the noise issues from 3g. every smartphone can compensate this issue. this should be rare in japan as you can expect ubiquitous coverage.

however, you will give up some battery life (in case this ever happens).

please note that the "1700mhz" from band 4 and band 9 are totally different. a phone with band 4 will not operate in band 9.

so both 9930 and 9900 will work fine. i don't think you'll be able to use the cdma radio from the 9930 with ntt because of incompatible frequencies (that is if ntt still operates cdma).

[Kevbodian]

There seems to be some confusion in this thread. The technologies W-CDMA and CDMA are very different. While both refer to code division multiple access, W-CDMA is actually a synonym for UMTS where CDMA (EVO, 1X, cdma2000 etc) are technologies used by Verizon, Telus (before they jumped ship), Bell (before they jumped ship), AU by kddi...

So the 9930's CDMA bands will never be operable on Docomo because Docomo does not operate any CDMA technology. PHS was a TDMA service. Docomo's W-CDMA/UMTS/3G (where HSPA just an evolved, higher bandwidth UMTS) are all based on the GSM/TDMA evolution line. Even if the 9930 supported CDMA on the frequency bands that Docomo runs its UMTS/HSPA, the mode is not the same. In this case, mode refers to CDMA vs UMTS and the 9930 is a dual-mode device.

So the true answer, in summary, is the 9900 is a much better solution than the 9930 because it supports 800mhz band and therefore you may have better signal indoors. Japan, however, is a bit of an oddity in that they have towers everywhere! If you can get the 9930 for cheaper or if it's all that's available when you're at the store, you should be fine with that.

[soo007]

There seems to be some confusion in this thread. The technologies W-CDMA and CDMA are very different. While both refer to code division multiple access, W-CDMA is actually a synonym for UMTS where CDMA (EVO, 1X, cdma2000 etc) are technologies used by Verizon, Telus (before they jumped ship), Bell (before they jumped ship), AU by kddi...

So the 9930's CDMA bands will never be operable on Docomo because Docomo does not operate any CDMA technology. PHS was a TDMA service. Docomo's W-CDMA/UMTS/3G (where HSPA just an evolved, higher bandwidth UMTS) are all based on the GSM/TDMA evolution line. Even if the 9930 supported CDMA on the frequency bands that Docomo runs its UMTS/HSPA, the mode is not the same. In this case, mode refers to CDMA vs UMTS and the 9930 is a dual-mode device.

So the true answer, in summary, is the 9900 is a much better solution than the 9930 because it supports 800mhz band and therefore you may have better signal indoors. Japan, however, is a bit of an oddity in that they have towers everywhere! If you can get the 9930 for cheaper or if it's all that's available when you're at the store, you should be fine with that.

the 9900 is slightly better than the 9930 because it may (if this is the att variant) has umts band 6, which is japan specific (ntt docomo to be more specific). support for the "800mhz" band is irrelevant; support for umts band 6 is relevant.
if your phone does not have it don't worry about it because it still has band 1.
w-cdma, is still cdma but is wideband so you will unlikely encounter 2g cdma-related issues.

can somebody verify if the 9930 supports hotspot via gms/umts?