[tlug] Softbank iPhone, what am I missing?

[Simon Cozens <simon@example.com>]

Hi all,
	We're planning on returning to Japan in the New Year, and I'm trying to put
together a budget. One item would of course be keitai for two of us. I have
budgeted 6000 a month for this. Say what you like about Softbank, almost all
of our team are on it, so going for Softbank and the white plan makes a lot of
sense. Our call costs should be about zero, especially since I basically hate
phones anyway.

	But the Softbank web pages don't make very much sense. The iPhone standard
price plan (http://mb.softbank.jp/mb/iphone/price_plan/standard_price_plan/)
seems to suggest I can pick up an iPhone 4 16G with, um, 1 meg of data, for
2900 plus call charges. (I don't have a phone at the moment so I guess I won't
get the norikaewari.) That's remarkably reasonable, since I don't stay out of
wifi range for long and don't really want much in the way of 3G.

	Is that right, though, 2900? I seem to remember that last time I used
Softbank, I had a zero-yen phone plus the 980 white plan, but my bills were
always in the 5000Y or so range. Did I just talk a lot outside the white plan
time (ah, engagement) or have I forgotten about some hidden charges?

Simon