Note 3 is region locked

[Blackintuit]

Well, that's a mark against. Travel between Europe, North America, and Asia? You're prevented from buying a local SIM card and using a local provider.

This obviously is done at the software level and it's only a matter of hours before someone figures out how to break this. But for business people and travelers trying to use waze, google maps, or other GPS routing software when travelling around foreign countries, this is definitely a disappointment.

Seriously, Samsung? Sorry, roamers, but the new Galaxy Note 3 is region-locked — Tech News and Analysis

 

[Zergslayer69]

Wow really? Good thing I didn't order an international note 3 then (in the US). Is this confirmed or are you speaking from personal experience?

 

[Blackintuit]

I'm only able to relay what others are reporting. Not even sure if this is for all versions, or only carrier specific.

http://www.androidauthority.com/galaxy-note-3-europe-america-region-lock-277262/

 

[snc0921]

I'm pretty sure this will sort itself out (meaning someone will find a by pass to unlock it). For me, when I go overseas I have an unlocked phone for making calls with a local SIM. I generally don't utilize the horrible data speeds in China so I'd still be able to use my GN3 as my pocket computer and my unlocked phone to call around.

That said, many folks have more immediate needs and I'm watching for this to get addressed.

 

[Simon_y7]

If this turns out to be true, it's terrible news. Is this the embedded SIM issue that was mentioned earlier? Damn, suddenly I lost all interest in looking at these gorgeous reviews.

 

[21stNow]

I wonder if this is more related to LTE-compatibility, rather than total service compatibility. One of the updates to the articles posted in the OP indicates that the phone will work with outside SIM cards.

 

[thegame161]

good job i never go anywhere ha

 

[ki11ak3nn]

I only go to Canada from time to time. So I'm good. Last time I brought my GNex to Canada it was just a brick. No data or voice. It sucked.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

 

[Simon_y7]

I was hoping to finally have a single phone to travel with, instead of always packing two phones, two extra batteries, two chargers, etc.

 

[Raptor007]

You just need to activate it on the local carrier in the EU, then you can put any SIM into it. They are simply blocking the grey market which as a mfg they have a right to do. We don't like it,but they can do it and lose out on the sales altogether. If they simply offered a international version they wouldn't have to mfg so many different models.

 

[Blackintuit]

There's some weird stuff in customer.xml that people have been noticing.

Samsung is now stating only after you activate the phone with a carrier in its designated region (hence the customer.xml weirdness), will you then be able to use other carrier sims from other regions outside the designated region.

Which of course is not properly conveyed at all by the warning stickers on the outside. And needs independent verification before it's believable.

 

[Simon_y7]

In the early threads, when people were ordering their Notes 3 in the US, it was mentioned that they had an option of ordering or not an "international" version. What could it possibly have meant in the light of this very unwelcome news? Also, at least on some receipts an "embedded SIM" was listed.

The irony is that my initial awareness of Note 3 was due to a happy owner of Note 2 starting a thread titled "Finally, a truly global phone."

 

[dpham00]

The Verizon variant would most likely be factory sim unlocked as with most of their other current 4GLTE smartphones.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II via Tapatalk 4

 

[mavrrick]

In the early threads, when people were ordering their Notes 3 in the US, it was mentioned that they had an option of ordering or not an "international" version. What could it possibly have meant in the light of this very unwelcome news? Also, at least on some receipts an "embedded SIM" was listed.

The irony is that my initial awareness of Note 3 was due to a happy owner of Note 2 starting a thread titled "Finally, a truly global phone."

This was more about ATT wanting to get you on a international plan as part of the upgrade instead of letting you do it after. I don't think it was actually a international version of the phone.

 

[Simon_y7]

The Verizon variant would most likely be factory sim unlocked as with most of their other current 4GLTE smartphones.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II via Tapatalk 4

From your mouth and into God's ear.

 

[JasW]

You just need to activate it on the local carrier in the EU, then you can put any SIM into it. They are simply blocking the grey market which as a mfg they have a right to do. We don't like it,but they can do it and lose out on the sales altogether. If they simply offered a international version they wouldn't have to mfg so many different models.

Yup, but of course the workaround has quickly been found, so if by chance you are someone who purchases phones from the EU but activates them elsewhere, an unlock code and a hard reset is apparently the ticket to unfettered SIM swapping when traveling: Galaxy Note 3 SIM Restrictions - the full story & how to unlock

 

[Simon_y7]

The Verizon variant would most likely be factory sim unlocked as with most of their other current 4GLTE smartphones.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II via Tapatalk 4

SIM restrictions on unlocked European Note3 - Page 30 - xda-developers

Reading the above XDA devs' thread, one learns of many details, complexities, and uncertainties in this issue. In particular, to address your post, it appears that Samsung had locked all their recent smartphones manufactured after this July. And this w/o giving people any prior-to-sale warning. In fact, some owners were very surprised to find that their devices happened to be locked.

 

[Raptor007]

So really this was just a bunch of FUD and much ado about nothing.

 

[dpham00]

SIM restrictions on unlocked European Note3 - Page 30 - xda-developers

Reading the above XDA devs' thread, one learns of many details, complexities, and uncertainties in this issue. In particular, to address your post, it appears that Samsung had locked all their recent smartphones manufactured after this July. And this w/o giving people any prior-to-sale warning. In fact, some owners were very surprised to find that their devices happened to be locked.

I didn't glance through the entire thread. But I highly doubt that the Verizon version would come sim locked due to FCC requirements. I don't think that Verizon is voluntarily offering phones factory sim unlocked, rather they don't want to get fined again for violating fcc requirements. They were already fined once

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II via Tapatalk 4

 

[andymacnexus]

Its only locked if you first use a non region sim. So if you import to US from Europe and use a US sim it will then be locked to US , but there is a way to get round this apparently.

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