I hate cell phones they are an invasion of privacy. That said I have a Panasonic because they are my favourite Japanese electronic company. Ok in the 90s I bought a 2000 dollar Technics Hifi system. I still love them. To this day.
iphone may look cool and work fine for English users, but it is too cumbersome for people who type in Japanese.
What a load of rubbish; the iPhone is great for Japanese users. I type Japanese on mine all the time. However the opposite is true. Typing English on Japanese cellphones is a real pain. My Japanese friend wants to get an iPhone because she is typing a lot more in English these days.
gee, I wonder what the Japanese public would say. Ask a kid here and the phone, TV, car, radio and light was bloody invented here... anyway, my vote is Nokia and Samsung.
I am not an apple fan boy by any measure. But my iPhone has changed my life. Never in my life has any single tool, device, or instrument been as useful as my iPhone. I can study kanji and vocab anywhere I go. I have a free denshi jishou that is as good as a most 3man jishou you can buy. I have gps that has saved me from getting lost plenty of times in unfamiliar cites. Oh i forgot to mention I have 30 gb of my favorite music on it.
Ive never really thought about this as i ve used models from various companies beofore. But my best cell phone to date has to be my iphone. With skype in it i call abroad cheaply, jelly sms allows me to text my families mobiles cheaply. Book reader, movie player, games, Radio one live on my mobile in japan. Simply the best device ive had to date.
Apple. Just they are clueless about partnering with a company that has good service. Singapore wouldn't sell iPhone's unless there was competition amongst the carriers. Seems the US, Japan.... the large corporate economies don't really believe in competition as they signed exclusivity deals. No competition means no improvement. Economics 101.
I would say Apple but they fail in global partnerships. I can't take my iphone out of country and keep it turned on without being charged a massive roaming connection fee.
I miss the old simple global roaming phones when abrad. What a hassle. In Japan, its fine.
Sharp is great. The iPhone is great as well but it's great as a mobile computer and rather crap as a phone. My Sharp + Softbank had much better reception than my iPhone + Softbank, and the Sharp was more comfortable to hold when making a call and had better sound.
But if you need a mobile computer with phone capabilities (rather than the reverse) then the iPhone is hard to beat.
A Jailbroken iPhone - not only do you get all of the benefits of the normal iPhone, but you can install SNES / Playstation emulators and set it up so you can use skype over 3G (app called 'VoIP over 3G') - making all calls back home completely free.
So yeah - Apple. But you need to bend the rules to release it's true potential. Google 'Blackra1n' to see how!
Addition: Jailbraking your iPhone is LEGAL. It just voids your warranty - a problem easily solved by doing a factory reset (if your phone happens to go on the fritz, which I've never known to happen).
try typing a text message with one hand on your iphone while standing on a crowded train and you'll understand what I'm talking about. The iphone is fine if you've got two hands free. But a good portion of Japanese and non-Japanese alike like to use their phones with one hand.
try typing a text message with one hand on your iphone while standing on a crowded train and you'll understand what I'm talking about. The iphone is fine if you've got two hands free. But a good portion of Japanese and non-Japanese alike like to use their phones with one hand.
I usually type in Japanese and English on my iPhone with one hand. Actually quite easy. You should try it sometime.
iPhone is the number one, two and number three. The others take your line and learn.
BTW, I type in English, Spanish, Japanese and Russian in my iphone in the Yamanote sen 7:30 am every day, and while walking to workplace, and when riding my mamashari. No problem.
now if only the iPhone could incorporate the Felica and get some decent grade camera in it.... That's why I use the SH in Japan, Nokia in Europe and iPhone in the US.
34 Comments
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Kwaabish
Sharp! IMHO
stirfry
RIM and Nokia
some14some
Nokia !
whiskeysour
1) Apple 2) Sharp 3) Nokia
papasmurfinjapan
For Japanese users? Sharp by far. Sharp menus are the most intuitive.
iphone may look cool and work fine for English users, but it is too cumbersome for people who type in Japanese.
Triple888
Not sure. The last time I bought a cell phone was 6 years ago. I use a Nokia FYI.
masterkun05
I hate cell phones they are an invasion of privacy. That said I have a Panasonic because they are my favourite Japanese electronic company. Ok in the 90s I bought a 2000 dollar Technics Hifi system. I still love them. To this day.
UnagiDon
HTC
Disillusioned
Apple!
JohnBecker
Keep an eye on HTC. I have one of their iPhone style full touch screen models with a slide-out keyboard, and it's fantastic.
stevecpfc
Japanese phones don`t make the grade. I have an I Phone but my favourite manufacturers are 1 Samsung, 2 Nokia and 3 Motorola.
Katsuro1000
Siemens
masterkun05
Matsushita forever.
nemoflow
Nokia, without a shadow of doubt; constantly the most robust units, highly intuitive menu systems, mega long battery life.
masterkun05
Panasonic.
2020hindsight
papasmurfinjapan
What a load of rubbish; the iPhone is great for Japanese users. I type Japanese on mine all the time. However the opposite is true. Typing English on Japanese cellphones is a real pain. My Japanese friend wants to get an iPhone because she is typing a lot more in English these days.
Would have to say Apple on this one.
my2sense
gee, I wonder what the Japanese public would say. Ask a kid here and the phone, TV, car, radio and light was bloody invented here... anyway, my vote is Nokia and Samsung.
kujiranikusuki
I am not an apple fan boy by any measure. But my iPhone has changed my life. Never in my life has any single tool, device, or instrument been as useful as my iPhone. I can study kanji and vocab anywhere I go. I have a free denshi jishou that is as good as a most 3man jishou you can buy. I have gps that has saved me from getting lost plenty of times in unfamiliar cites. Oh i forgot to mention I have 30 gb of my favorite music on it.
LostinNagoya
Apple. Once you taste the fruit, you get addicted to it.
diggerdog
Ive never really thought about this as i ve used models from various companies beofore. But my best cell phone to date has to be my iphone. With skype in it i call abroad cheaply, jelly sms allows me to text my families mobiles cheaply. Book reader, movie player, games, Radio one live on my mobile in japan. Simply the best device ive had to date.
stevecpfc
diggerdog, please could you say more about jelly sms? I need sms sometimes to text the UK.
noborito
Apple. Just they are clueless about partnering with a company that has good service. Singapore wouldn't sell iPhone's unless there was competition amongst the carriers. Seems the US, Japan.... the large corporate economies don't really believe in competition as they signed exclusivity deals. No competition means no improvement. Economics 101.
goatlover
what's the one with the cans and string?
AzabuSamurai
I would say Apple but they fail in global partnerships. I can't take my iphone out of country and keep it turned on without being charged a massive roaming connection fee.
I miss the old simple global roaming phones when abrad. What a hassle. In Japan, its fine.
pawatan
Sharp is great. The iPhone is great as well but it's great as a mobile computer and rather crap as a phone. My Sharp + Softbank had much better reception than my iPhone + Softbank, and the Sharp was more comfortable to hold when making a call and had better sound.
But if you need a mobile computer with phone capabilities (rather than the reverse) then the iPhone is hard to beat.
IronBeard
A Jailbroken iPhone - not only do you get all of the benefits of the normal iPhone, but you can install SNES / Playstation emulators and set it up so you can use skype over 3G (app called 'VoIP over 3G') - making all calls back home completely free.
So yeah - Apple. But you need to bend the rules to release it's true potential. Google 'Blackra1n' to see how!
IronBeard
Addition: Jailbraking your iPhone is LEGAL. It just voids your warranty - a problem easily solved by doing a factory reset (if your phone happens to go on the fritz, which I've never known to happen).
stevecpfc
IronBeard, i made good use of Blackra1n, Cydia and Rock. Using Skype to Skype when i am out and about in Japan to call UK.
papasmurfinjapan
2020hindsight
try typing a text message with one hand on your iphone while standing on a crowded train and you'll understand what I'm talking about. The iphone is fine if you've got two hands free. But a good portion of Japanese and non-Japanese alike like to use their phones with one hand.
whiskeysour
iphone is the best !!!! Sharp is close second !!!!
2020hindsight
papasmurfinjapan
I usually type in Japanese and English on my iPhone with one hand. Actually quite easy. You should try it sometime.
Papito
iPhone is the number one, two and number three. The others take your line and learn. BTW, I type in English, Spanish, Japanese and Russian in my iphone in the Yamanote sen 7:30 am every day, and while walking to workplace, and when riding my mamashari. No problem.
Kwaabish
now if only the iPhone could incorporate the Felica and get some decent grade camera in it.... That's why I use the SH in Japan, Nokia in Europe and iPhone in the US.
The_True
Nokia !