ahamo now lets you add a traditional voicemail box and a visual‑voicemail‑style “Catch‑Phone” service for just ¥330 a month each. Both features are activated through the My docomo app, giving you instant access to voice messages and short audio snippets when you miss a call. This upgrade restores core voice tools while keeping the plan’s low‑cost appeal.
What’s Changing?
The new voicemail service brings back a classic feature that was missing from the original ahamo offering. You can forward missed calls to a voice mailbox, listen to messages via the My docomo portal, and record custom greetings—all for ¥330 per month.
Catch‑Phone works like a lightweight visual voicemail. When you don’t answer, the system records a brief audio clip and sends it as a push notification. You can then decide to call back, ignore, or reply with a quick text, all from the same dashboard.
Why Add These Services Now?
When ahamo launched, the focus was on a flat ¥2,970 monthly fee with unlimited 5G data and no legacy fees. Over time, rivals such as Rakuten Mobile and Y!mobile have started bundling basic voicemail tools into their low‑cost plans, eroding ahamo’s unique selling point. By re‑introducing voicemail and Catch‑Phone, Docomo plugs that gap and keeps price‑sensitive users from drifting to competitors.
The ¥330 price tag is deliberately low—about one‑tenth of the base plan—so the barrier to entry stays minimal while still generating incremental revenue.
February Campaign Highlights
- Switch‑to‑ahamo d‑point bonus: Up to ¥20,000 in d‑points for new customers who meet eligibility criteria.
- 5G Welcome Discount: Select smartphones qualify for discounts up to ¥58,201 when purchased through the ahamo portal.
- Docomo‑certified reuse iPhone program: Refurbished iPhones are sold at reduced prices, with extra savings when paired with a new ahamo contract.
- Referral rewards: Existing users earn additional d‑points for each friend who signs up and activates a plan.
Combined, these offers give you a low‑cost data plan, essential voice services, and cash‑equivalent rebates that can offset a new phone purchase.
Market Implications
For you, the added voicemail options mean fewer compromises—you keep the plan cheap and still get the basics you need. Industry analysts see this move as part of a broader trend where “budget” mobile brands re‑introduce legacy features to stay competitive as 5G adoption grows.
Even a modest uptake can create a sizable revenue stream. If just 30 % of ahamo’s 10 million subscribers opt in, the ¥330 fee could generate roughly ¥1 billion annually.
Industry Perspective
A telecom product manager explains that stripping a plan down to its core can alienate power users who still rely on voice tools. Adding a lightweight voicemail and a visual‑voicemail‑style notification keeps the plan lean while covering the most common use cases.
Technically, integrating these services required minimal backend changes because Docomo already runs voicemail infrastructure for its main postpaid lines. The main effort was building a seamless self‑service UI in My docomo so you can activate or deactivate the features without contacting support.
Future Outlook
Will Docomo keep layering more add‑ons onto ahamo, or will it eventually bundle everything into a single premium tier? The current rollout suggests a cautious approach: test low‑cost, high‑value features, gauge uptake, and iterate.
If you’ve been holding out on ahamo because of missing voice features, now’s the time to give it a try—you get a data‑heavy plan, fresh discounts, and finally a voicemail box that actually works.
