Buying an ipad in Japan

[ESs6 10]

A friend of mine is working in Japan and can get me an Ipad retina and cellular for a great price from the Apple store there as opposed to buying it from Apple in rip off Britain.

 

I've not got any apple products but am considering selling my soul and buying one, however a couple of questions.

 

The cellular is only available to the Japanese network so will it be easy to unlock and use over here, Ive had a quick look at threads regd Iphone so would imagine similar but the sim card I would be using would be a pay as you go.

 

Also as I dont know how to use an i pad would I still get the free tuition in the Apple store, the guys in the Apple store said as long as the ipad is bought from an apple store can get tuition in any of the stores although at the time I didnt mention its a different country.

 

The last question is the cellular worth it. I do travel out and about round Yorkshire with work but would there be enough wi fi hot spots to mean the cellular would not be worth the extra in initial cost and monthly sim card

 

many thanks in advance

[Greengeek 10]

Are you sure it's a great price? Japan is normally more expensive than here.

 

---------- Post added 07-05-2013 at 22:54 ----------

 

16gb wifi/cellular is 53,800 yen which translates to £543.54

Over here the same one is £499

[Waldo 96]

Importation tax anyone?

[Tomtom66 10]

Also are you 100% sure it's real, that part of the world is knock off capital.

[stereolab 10]

Don't bother - as others have said its MORE expensive in Japan than here - if its cheaper then its almost certainly a fake.

 

You would be better off with a refurbed one direct from Apple http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/specialdeals/ipad/ipad3

 

As for the 3G option - I wouldn't bother - you can either get on WIFI or tether to your phone easily enough (most Android phones allow this - just make sure you have a decent data allowance)

Edited May 8, 2013 by stereolab

[Origin_Pete 10]

The iPad 16Gb + wifi is 319.00 before tax. As opposed to £322.35 (on current exchange rates) in the US. Not too bad at all. Tax is tax at the end of the day - and you'd have to pay duty if you brought it over from Japan anyway.

 

To answer your main questions: i'd go for the wifi only as it's cheaper (and wifi is common enough over here). 3g can be handy if you're away from home and want to watch something live, but usage allowances on tablet plans are a pain. An ipad will work overseas (so over here), but you'd have a foreign charger with it and you'd probably need to change region/language in settings, but that's simple enough to do.

Edited May 8, 2013 by Origin_Pete

[denomis 10]

All iPads bought from apple are unlocked.

Language is set as soon as you turn on the iPad.

3G pay as you go data sims are free just top up what you need when you need it, I was using O2 £10 for 1 gig over 30 days when I needed it.

You don't need apple tuition, my 2 year old knows his way around mine, just have a play with it you won't break it or mess it up.

If you do buy one get your mate to put the iPad in his hand luggage throw away the box and he can say its his own personal iPad thus avoiding duty/tax etc.

Japan is not big on fakes, that's more Hong Kong/china/Taiwan.

[Joanl 12]

Don't know if this helps at all but my son lives in Japan and he bought me a Apple Macbook Air for my birthday....it works perfectly ok for me here. I can do everything on it that I can on my Acer aspire.....Even more I suspect when I've found my way around it......

Edited May 8, 2013 by Joanl
correction