Question for the phone/network gurus
 

I know phones can be locked to certain SIM cards and USIM cards, but does anyone know if USIM cards can be locked to certain phones?

I'll be going to Japan in 3 weeks, and need to rent a USIM card. Softbank rents out 3G phones for their UMTS 2100 network, but they also rent out USIM cards as well, for UMTS 2100 phones.

However, being Japanese and stupid, they will not give you the card if your phone is a "smart phone". Because their data fees are ridiculously absurd (we're talking hundreds of dollars per MB) and I guess they had problems with stupid customers racking up fees.

So I'll be forced to rent a phone instead of a USIM, at twice the price.

I was just wondering if I will be able to take the USIM out of their phone, and stick it in my phone. In other words, can the USIM itself be locked to a particular phone. I believe it can, but I'm not entirely sure.

lol im sorry, could you repeat the question again in english?

dude honestly, that made no sense.

It makes perfect sense. If you don't understand, you probably wouldn't be able to contribute anything useful anyway ;)

actually it doesn't, because there is no such thing as a 3g sim card. its the phone itself that runs on certain 3g bands.

Yup, I was right. :)

Edited OP. By the way, a 3G-only SIM card is called a USIM card.

wow, i was wrong. my bad.

with a softbank usim it will work in any other phones

I don't think there should be any problems. I had it in my 920SH before just to make it work to play around with.