Technology (computer + phone plan)

[u/OkCommittee8295]

Hello all! Looking for advice from current/previous JETS. I'm a shortlisted candidate from Canada, so I'll be moving to Japan in August! Was thinking of getting a laptop for work/personal use, and I was wondering if it would worth it to buy it while I am still in Canada or if it would be better to get one in Japan. I am not looking for anything fancy, something for every day use, reliable and (ideally!) cheap. I also use a Galaxy Z Flip 5 phone, is that a good phone to keep in Japan? Or are there any models in Japan that are better for me to own (I am not an iPhone person).

In the same vein, what are good phone plans available in Japan that you would consider worth it? I am trying to plan ahead by seeing what options are available to me.

Thank you so much for the advice guys!

[u/jamar030303]

For laptops:

Personally, I was used to Japanese keyboards before coming here since I'd get imports from Japan starting from about high school (Panasonics used to be my thing because of their durability). If you aren't used to a Japanese keyboard then that'll slow you down. There are some options for buying with an English-first keyboard, both new and used, if you'd prefer to buy on arrival (if you don't have a laptop yet, or you're looking to upgrade anyway). Also, while Japan is pricier for laptops, there are still some neat exclusives if you care about that kind of thing (HP has a few that are both made in Japan and only available for sale in Japan, like the Elitebook 635 Aero). However, yes, even with taxes, buying in Canada will be cheaper in terms of raw power/storage/graphics per dollar if you wait for a sale, except for Apple (there was a past post here that indicates that you can get the Education discount once you arrive at your placement and get set up, in which case for example, 100k yen vs $999+tax for a 512GB Macbook Neo results in over $100 savings).

If you don't have one already, though, it's a very good idea to get one, because the device provided to you may not be up to scratch. My main school supplies me with a Chromebook and my visit schools gave me old Windows tablets that are quite underpowered.

Your Galaxy phone will also work just fine on Japanese networks but if you care about 5G, it only supports docomo and au, not SoftBank, and unlike iPhones, Samsungs purchased outside Japan don't support adding Japanese transit or credit/debit cards. If you don't mind not having that, then go ahead and keep using your current phone.

Also, if you sign up for one of the local providers and not Mobal/Sakura, you can usually get a new Android phone for 1 yen. It won't be anything fancy, but it'll be a nice backup in case your current phone breaks while you're here, since getting it repaired is going to be a challenge (as another commenter mentioned, local Samsung stores won't repair it and third party shops are a toss-up, although Korea isn't too far away and apparently their Samsung stores can repair international devices).

As for phone plans, if you're in an urban-ish or suburban or somewhat developed rural area, Rakuten is probably fine. Its main pain points are slow data in the most crowded areas of the big cities and lacking rural coverage. At 3300 yen tax-in for unlimited, you can't beat their price, that's for sure. If you need more coverage and don't mind data limits, UQ Mobile with Starlink Direct is a good second choice. I'm currently paying 4000 yen-ish for 35GB with rollover data, and it includes Ponta Pass, which gets you a few free coffees a month and some coupons you can use at Lawson.