Note 3 from Europe and living in China

[Decisive17]

Hello ladies and gents , I would like to take a moment of your time and explain a situation I have here ... My gf bought me a note 3 for my b-day. " I'm switching from iPhone to android yahhh" anyways it's a 32 GB phone from Europe . Now here is the kicker I am living in China and the phone was purchased in China " although from Europe because China doesn't offer the 32 GB phone" so I have the phone and the shop she bought it from said the phone had to be modified because of potential SIM card conflicts between China and Europe .. So in the about device column the device status is " custom" and I can't run the software update without getting the message telling me my phone had been modified ...

Now my biggest issue is that i am unable to get google play on my phone ... From what I've read it's blocked or can't run in China .. And the samsung App Store has no good apps . Can't get YouTube or Facebook or even whatsapp or Viber.. It's a pretty crap App Store .. All I want to know is how I can get google play on my phone some way some how...so I can get real apps ... So am I unable to get google play because my phone has been modified or because I'm in China , or both ....

Please please help me !!!! I don't want to go back to apple!!!!!!:'(

 

[mrsmumbles]

Unfortunately I don't think you'd be able to modify because China probably blocks the Google play store servers. Even if you could get an app to try to fool the GPS, you're still on Chinese internet which blocks Google servers.

Sent from my LG870 via Tapatalk 2

 

[dpham00]

What about amazon app store? Is that blocked too?

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3 via Tapatalk Pro

 

[TheMacs]

I'd have to believe amazon would be blocked, or at least severly restricted as well. I'm going to guess that you will be pretty limited given your geographic location.

I have a friend who travels to China occasionally for work. He may have some knowledge - I will ask him if he has any advice. Should see him by the end of the week; Message me Friday if you haven't received a solution.

 

[Gator352]

I'm surprised the Chinese Liberation Army hasn't crashed in your door yet for not only posting in a forum, but asking how to get an illegal product on your phone. Crazy I know right??

 

[emiinn]

I know it is an European phone but

Maybe try to flash a European rom on your phone. That could possibly fix the play store block

Posted via Android Central App

 

[snc0921]

I spent 5 years in China on long term relocation from my company in the USA (2004-2009). While I really enjoyed the experience, I had to learn to live with these types of issues with technology. I still have a couple of homes over there (wife is Chinese) and all our purchases come from the good ole' US of A. Enjoy the benefits of China but understand the shortcomings.

 

[roguetrader]

Viber is in the Samsung store, also an application called 'All social networks' which seems to have most accounts, such as FB, LinkedIn etc.
As you correctly state, you won't get updates from Samsung because of the custom Rom, which I discovered on a phone I purchased from Amazon - thankfully they replaced it immediately - I don't think I could live with that, let alone your other constraints.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[Decisive17]

Hey everybody I've got an update ... I managed to download a google play 4.4.22 APK file .. I even have the google play store up and running ... Now the problem is that every time I try and download an app .. The download starts but there is never any progress ... Just ongoing ongoing but never gets to even 1% ... So any help would be greatly appreciated !