Don't end up thinking "I shouldn't have switched!" — here are some points worth checking beforehand.
Are you OK with slower speeds?
MVNOs operate by leasing a portion of bandwidth from MNOs (au, docomo, etc.), so you generally can't expect the same speeds as the original carriers, and slow communication can become noticeable.
For people who say "Watching YouTube at lunchtime is part of my daily routine!" or "I want my internet to be fast!", an MVNO might feel a little restrictive.
Check your cancellation fee and remaining device balance
The biggest concern when switching to an MVNO is probably the cancellation fee for ending your current contract.
With au, for example, there's no charge if you cancel during your designated cancellation month, but in any other month a cancellation fee of 9,500 yen (10,260 yen including tax) applies, so be careful.
If you haven't finished paying off your current device in installments, you can choose at the counter whether to pay the remaining balance in a lump sum or continue with the installment plan.
Watch out — for iPhone, AppleCare gets canceled too!
AppleCare you sign up for through au or SoftBank is canceled the moment your line is canceled.
After cancellation, you fall back to the standard limited warranty, and you'll no longer receive repair discounts or support.
If you're thinking about getting your screen repaired or your battery replaced, it's best to take care of it before you cancel.
For those who say "I want to keep AppleCare for peace of mind!", another option is to skip signing up through your carrier at the time of purchase and enroll with Apple directly. AppleCare can be added within 30 days of buying an iPhone, so with this method your coverage continues even if you cancel your carrier line.
Be sure to unlock your device's SIM lock
Currently, all devices purchased from au, docomo, or SoftBank come with a SIM lock applied.
If you don't unlock it — for example, if you insert a docomo SIM into an iPhone bought from au — you'll see "Invalid SIM" and won't be able to use it.
Even if your phone is SIM-locked, recent models can be unlocked online.※
However, if you try to unlock after canceling your line, fees may apply or the procedure may become more cumbersome, so we recommend taking care of it before you cancel your line.
※For the specific unlocking conditions, please check each carrier's website.
Best to swap SIM cards somewhere with Wi-Fi
To use an MVNO SIM, you need to configure APN settings.
With Android, you can enter the APN settings manually, but with iPhone you need to download an APN profile.
In order to download the profile, we recommend swapping cards in a Wi-Fi environment.
