Will my Evo work in Japan?

**HawaiiD** · 03-01-2011, 03:07 AM

I visit Japan Every other year.
And for this year my family and I are scheduled to
visit in October.

With the release of a Japanese Evo and KDDI having Wimax up and running?

I also believe Japan uses mainly CDMA technology?

Could I possibly roam with my phone there?

Thoughts?

Japan seems to be picking up the Android pace. Along with the Motorola Xoom, KDDI has also launched HTC Evo WiMax in the country. The first WiMAX compatible Android smartphone to enter Japan, it will be available to consumers in April.

The device was previously launched in US as HTC Evo 4G on the Sprint Network. The Japanese version carries the same basic features as the American one and sports a WVGA, 4.3-inch TFT touchscreen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor, 1GB of memory, CDMA 1x EV-DO Rev.A/WiMAX and 512MB of RAM.

Other features include 8 megapixel camera with flash, 720p video, 1.3 megapixel camera in the front, and HDMI output. Consumers will have to pay a fixed monthly WiMax fee of 525 yen (including tax) to use the service, but KDDI is providing it free up to August 2011.

**CoryBantic** · 03-01-2011, 07:09 AM

I actually do a lot of business in Central America and I had to get an extra service on my phone ($30 per month) so that I wouldn't get charged roaming fees and so that I could use it outside of the U.S. The cool thing about this is that you can have this service whenever you like, so, if you're going to Japan for a couple of weeks, you can place it on your phone for 1 month (minimum).

**IAmSixNine** · 03-01-2011, 08:31 AM

Technically the phone will work because its a CDMA / WiMax device. However if SPRINT doesnt have any roaming agreements with the carrier then your phone may not work on it. In order for the other carrier to collect money from you for usage on their network they will have to charge sprint, who in turn charges you the owner of the phone.
Contact Sprint and see if they are on the list of world wide roaming carriers (CDMA not GSM) and activate it at least a week or two before you take your trip.
Thats pretty much your only option. CDMA devices use the ESN to register with the network, if your ESN is not registered properly then its rejected.

Follow up with us and let us know how the WiMax coverage is over there.

**FatalErrorz** · 03-01-2011, 12:42 PM

Just buy one of their disposable ones from one of their electronics shops. They use pre-paid SIM cards over there like Korea. Or, check the following for which carrier will works as they use different versions of CDMA...

**cloak.n.dagger** · 03-01-2011, 03:29 PM

Just call Sprint and ask them. They'll let you know if you can get your phone working on the CDMA networks over there. If you can, then you will have to sign up for a roaming package for the month you are there. It might be extra $$ but at least you will have your EVO to show off! Worst case, you might just have to rent a different phone while you are there and use your EVO as a WiFi only device.

**FatalErrorz** · 03-01-2011, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by cloak.n.dagger

Just call Sprint nad ask them. They'll let you know if you can get your phone working on the CDMA networks over there. If you can, then you will have to sign up for a roaming package for the month you are there. It might be extra $$ but at least you will have your EVO to show off! Worst case, you might just have to rent a different phone while you are there and use your EVO as a WiFi only device.

Nothing personal, but the Evo wouldn't be worth trying to "show off" over there. Have you ever been to Japan or Korea? Their cell phones make ours look flat archaic. We are way behind the power curve when it comes to cell phones, and it's all because of the FCC.

They use feature phones more than smartphones over there.

**duckwars** · 03-01-2011, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by FatalErrorz

Nothing personal, but the Evo wouldn't be worth trying to "show off" over there. Have you ever been to Japan or Korea? Their cell phones make ours look flat archaic. We are way behind the power curve when it comes to cell phones, and it's all because of the FCC.

They use feature phones more than smartphones over there.

eh... i studied abroad in korea last last winter (winter 2009) and their phones software was terrible. Sure they can stuff a 50 megapixel camera on their phones but their user interface was horrible.

I have a friend back in Korea who keeps saying "we just got smartphones" because they have always had phones with internet and email and stuff like that, it was just in a very ****ty package...

my 2 cents.

But yea, no one is gonna be that impressed with your evo.

**Ryanbradley** · 03-01-2011, 06:00 PM

Hmm, technically, I don't know if it would work
because they have a different WiMAX band and 3G (CDMA) etc....
Lol, but you really don't need the WiMax in Japan since their 3G
speeds there are OUR Wimax speeds without the 1mb capped xD (9.2Mbps down/5.5Mbps down)
While their Wimax speeds are.... well... 40mbps up and 10mbps down x]

**FatalErrorz** · 03-01-2011, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by duckwars

eh... i studied abroad in korea last last winter (winter 2009) and their phones software was terrible. Sure they can stuff a 50 megapixel camera on their phones but their user interface was horrible.

I have a friend back in Korea who keeps saying "we just got smartphones" because they have always had phones with internet and email and stuff like that, it was just in a very ****ty package...

my 2 cents.

But yea, no one is gonna be that impressed with your evo.

My last tour in Korea was back in 2000 and I bought a smartphone at the electronics market down in Seoul for use while I was there. It was a linux based GUI not all that different than the Android system...Major difference was the price. It was $220.00 with no contract as you buy a SIM card for those. If he's a soldier or airman, tell him to go to the Electronics Market (every cab knows where it is) in Seoul and get a phone instead of getting one from the 'ville which is definitely behind the times. I hopped a train down to Seoul whenever I could...Of course, there wasn't much much to do up at Camp Bonifas except stare at the NK's.

**splmonster** · 03-01-2011, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by bigwrigg

Technically the phone will work because its a CDMA / WiMax device. However if SPRINT doesnt have any roaming agreements with the carrier then your phone may not work on it. In order for the other carrier to collect money from you for usage on their network they will have to charge sprint, who in turn charges you the owner of the phone.
Contact Sprint and see if they are on the list of world wide roaming carriers (CDMA not GSM) and activate it at least a week or two before you take your trip.
Thats pretty much your only option. CDMA devices use the ESN to register with the network, if your ESN is not registered properly then its rejected.

Follow up with us and let us know how the WiMax coverage is over there.

The Wimax will work, the CDMA coverage however will not. The reason I love Wimax is the open-standard. You can connect basically anywhere that Clear shows Wimax, or Wimax in other countries that use the same frequency ours does without being charged.

**mandarb916** · 03-01-2011, 11:09 PM

Upstream and downstream frequencies for CDMA in Japan are opposite that of the US. Thus, the US EVO will not work in Japan on CDMA.

Also, WiMax should technically work. However, I believe the carrier will do some type of MAC filtering to prevent "unauthorized" devices from accessing the WiMax network unless Sprint (Clear?) decides to forge a partnership with KDDI or UQ or some other WiMAX provider.

Probably not the answer you were looking for :/

**LVRealtor** · 11-07-2011, 10:21 PM

My Sprint Palm Pre worked in Japan in most areas last year. So I'm not sure about the "opposite upstream/downstream frequency" issue is really an issue.