[Effectively 0 yen for 1 year] My honest opinion after 6 years with Rakuten Mobile. The blind spots of the strongest plan and how to switch without losing money

This article contains product links.
The content is unbiased.

What I've learned after 6 years of using Rakuten Mobile:
The shock of 'effectively 0 yen' and the places where it struggles
A guide to switching carriers to clear up your household budget worries

My honest opinion after 6 years of Rakuten Mobile history

I have been using Rakuten Mobile since 2020.

To summarize what I like about Rakuten Mobile at the start:

Best cost performance
Connectivity
Free calls

These three points.

For light users who mainly use SNS and news while on the go, it is a service that fits just right.

This time, I have summarized the points I noticed after continuing to use Rakuten Mobile.

[The shock of the 1-yen device] My Rakuten Mobile life that started with the Rakuten Mini

First, about my history with Rakuten Mobile.

In 2020, there was a campaign where a device called the Rakuten Mini was 1 yen (!)

and I signed up.

This Rakuten Mini was super excellent as a secondary device.

A size that fits perfectly in the palm of your hand.
Super lightweight at about 79g.
Moreover, it supports Osaifu-Keitai (FeliCa).

You don't need anything else for a quick outing if you have a Rakuten Mini. It's the ultimate walking-around smartphone.

It has a design that is just small, cute, and eye-catching.
When I took the Rakuten Mini out of my pocket at checkout, store clerks would often compliment it.

After using the Rakuten Mini as a secondary device for about 4 years, I found that the Rakuten Mobile network caused me no trouble within my daily activity range.

"Rakuten Mobile is actually usable!"

Realizing that, I made it my main smartphone in 2024.
And in 2025, I signed up for a secondary line via MNP.

*The secondary line was switched from Rakuten Mobile to irumo and back to Rakuten Mobile again, triggered by the battery degradation of the Rakuten Mini.

The current Rakuten Mobile provides the same "great value experience" even with the latest iPhones and Androids.

[The magic of 14,000 points] You can use it "tough and free for 1 year" if you stay under 3GB per month

The biggest benefit of switching to Rakuten Mobile for both my main and secondary lines.

That is the fact that the campaigns are too good.

▶ Check out the Rakuten Mobile campaign (up to 14,000 points)!

Whether for a main or sub line, I applied via the campaign above and received a total of two times, resulting in 14,000 points being gifted.

By the way, even if you have canceled Rakuten Mobile before, you can get points again with this campaign! Amazing.

*Additional age-based and family discounts available

In other words, if your monthly data usage stays within 3GB, you can use the line effectively for free for one year using the gifted points.

Even if you think of it as a trial period, a full year for free is incredible.

The fundamental prerequisite for a network: "it actually connects"

The second benefit of Rakuten Mobile is that it actually connects.

Each carrier offers plans with various services attached, but the most important thing is

"whether it connects where you are."

That is obvious, isn't it?

This is a given.

No matter how cost-effective or service-rich a plan is, it is meaningless if it doesn't connect.

In that regard, I have already confirmed Rakuten Mobile's performance as I used a Rakuten Mini as a sub-device for about 4 years.

From urban areas to city centers in the Southern Kanto region (Kanagawa, Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba) where I am based, I have almost never had trouble with the signal not connecting.

The peace of mind provided by the Rakuten Link app's "free calls"

The third benefit of Rakuten Mobile is free calls.

If you use the "Rakuten Link" app, domestic calls become free.

Communication via email has become the norm, and the opportunities to call someone directly have decreased significantly...

But!

A few times a year, for example, when there is a defect in a product purchased at a shop.

Or when making inquiries to government offices.

Every once in a while, there are times when you have to make a phone call.

At times like that, it's hard to get through to a representative,

with hold music playing endlessly like, '♪♪♪~', 'The lines are currently busy. Please wait a moment', '♪♪♪~', 'Currently...'

It can be frustrating.

When you call from a smartphone, it can surprisingly cost a lot in phone charges.

However, with Rakuten Mobile, if you make calls via the 'Rakuten Link' app, they are free. So, even if it takes a while to get through to a representative, the call charges are free. It's also good for your mental health.

By the way, regarding call quality, compared to when I first signed up for Rakuten Mobile in 2020, as of 2026, there are almost zero instances where the sound on the other end is hard to hear. I can have conversations at a satisfactory level.

【Real Experience】Where is it hard to get a signal? Preparations to avoid trouble in weak areas

Well then.

I mentioned 'really generous point rewards', 'it connects properly', and 'free calls' as the merits of Rakuten Mobile.

There is one point that concerns me a little.

That is about the second merit I mentioned, 'it connects properly'. While the signal connects almost everywhere in the areas I travel, it is hard to connect inside large facilities in coastal areas.

This happens at a large facility I visit occasionally; the signal connects properly near the entrance. But when I go deep into the store, I can't even search for products in the browser.

That store is in a coastal area, far from the station, and it's a warehouse-like building. It's a bad location for signal reception. By the way, the major carrier used by my family member also tends to have a weak signal there.

It's not a store I visit that often, and since it connects fine near the entrance,

"checking in advance,"
"taking screenshots of necessary information,"
"having a credit card or cash ready in case the QR code screen doesn't open at checkout,"

and other preparations should make it a non-issue.

Start with a secondary device. Test the "usability" in your own daily life area.

That concludes my summary of the pros and concerns after 6 years of using Rakuten Mobile.

If you sign up for a switch via a campaign, you can use it effectively for free for one year.

During that time, you can test whether it suits your usage, including signal strength and call quality.

"This isn't what I expected!"
This almost entirely prevents the risk of failure.

This point could be called Rakuten Mobile's biggest advantage.

Just as I did, try using Rakuten Mobile for a secondary device first.

That is what I recommend to Rakuten Mobile beginners.

For other Rakuten Mobile plans and details, please check the page below.

Click here for details on the Rakuten Mobile employee referral campaign

Does your current plan match your own usage?

The monthly price is too high.
There's no benefit to continuing to use it.
You aren't fully utilizing expensive services.

In such cases, please give Rakuten Mobile a try.

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