Recently we had reported that the Japanese government is now considering removing SIM locks from phones sold in the country. This means that users will be able to take their phones and use it with any carrier they like, or take it overseas with them and use a local SIM card so that they can avoid roaming charges.
As it stands, phones sold in Japan are locked to carriers, so if you buy a phone from KDDI, Software, or NTT DOCOMO, you’re pretty much “stuck” with them. While this has yet to come into effect, it seems that Apple is taking steps of their own by offering up unlocked iPads in Japan.
Previously the cellular version of the iPad was similar to how phones are being sold in the country, which is that they are sold with SIM cards locked to one of Japan’s carriers. However with the changes that Apple is making, customers who want a cellular iPad will now be able to choose from a carrier of their choice.
This will also allow for use overseas where users can buy a local SIM card at the country they’re traveling in. The unlocked iPads will include both the iPad Air and iPad mini models and will be available for purchase either via an Apple retail store or Apple’s online store.