I tried to get service for my US iPhone 6S+ here in Tokyo. The delightful woman helping me warned me, "You know, if you swap this out you will get a Japan phone with the shutter sound. Are you sure?"
Oh. No. Not sure, and not by a long shot.
I recalled my first US trip with my JP colleagues where their shutter sound constantly disrupted slide presentation after slide presentation. I volunteered my phone for hundreds of silent slide pictures of decks later offered for download.
When I returned to Japan I found the sound ever present. I assumed the shutter sound a cultural choice, what with the Japanese camera stereotype and all. I filled it away as an annoyance like on-line banking and moved on.
I embrace my education. As I stated regularly on the PVC Security podcast, there is a certain freedom in knowing you will screw up at least ten times per day.
It also means I will try to get all my future mobile phones in the US (assuming the shutter sound is my major concern).
Also on: