Note 3 is region locked

[Aquila]

What's the benefit to Samsung from region locking devices? A morbid hope that you'll by a 2nd device if you need to travel?

 

[Botti]

What's the benefit to Samsung from region locking devices? A morbid hope that you'll by a 2nd device if you need to travel?

Perhaps read the older posts first and reply after that? You'll might be surprised of how many answers there are already.

Posted via Note3

 

[Aquila]

Perhaps read the older posts first and reply after that? You'll might be surprised of how many answers there are already.

Posted via Note3

I did read the thread, here is the only statement speaking to motive:

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.

I seriously doubt Samsung issued a statement regarding the gray market, meaning it's conjecture. It might be likely, but it's not the only opinion that may be out there.

 

[Simon_y7]

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

Well, both you and I are use Verizon, so, if you're right, we have nothing to worry about. However, if Verizon was fined, don't you think all other US carriers are painfully aware of that? Then, why there a sticker for the "American model?"

 

[21stNow]

Well, both you and I are use Verizon, so, if you're right, we have nothing to worry about. However, if Verizon was fined, don't you think all other US carriers are painfully aware of that? Then, why there a sticker for the "American model?"

The other US carriers don't have to comply with the same FCC guideline that VZW does. It is related to some spectrum that VZW acquired.

 

[Simon_y7]

More fun info from the XDA devs' forum:

Samsung UK's main customer service team (+44 330 726 7864) were clear with me yesterday afternoon that:

- the region lock is planned to be rolled out in the upcoming Kitkat update to a multitude of phones (eg SGS3, SGS4, Note II and Note 3) which receive the Kitkat upgrade including those manufactured before July 2013 - i.e. it will not just apply to those being sold subject to the legal notice stuck on the shipping box of the most recently manufactured phones.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=46003980&postcount=542

 

[21stNow]

More fun info from the XDA devs' forum:



xda-developers - View Single Post - SIM restrictions on unlocked European Note3

How would this affect phones that are already in use and carrier unlocked? I have/will have every phone on that list and they are unlocked; I'm curious as to how this would affect me.

 

[Simon_y7]

I guess, acc. to Samsung UK, the KitKat upgrade will lock these models to their activation region. If your phones are ineligible for that upgrade, they won't be affected. None of that would be relevant if (1) you don't travel outside the region, or (2) you do travel, but don't mind paying your carrier's insane international roaming rates.

 

[Gadgetlover0408]

Region lick not what we think

Find this article... showing sims are only locked if you don't see it up in the region you brought it in....

http://www.androidcentral.com/galaxy-note-3-region-lock-more-details-emerge

Sent from my SPH-L900 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[Simon_y7]

Unfortunately, some overseas users still report not being able to use "foreign" SIMs even after having followed the stated Samsung's procedure to a tee. It increasingly appears that whether a phone will or won't be globally unlocked depends on the region-specific CSC blacklist of countries.

 

[Highrisedrifter]

I have third hand experience of this. One of my friends, a British citizen, bought a Note 3 from the Samsung Store at the launch event in London last week. he activated the phone with the guy in the store (who made no mention of this region lock) using his UK Three sim card and everything was fine. I saw the phone and it looked lovely and worked perfectly.

Then on Saturday, he travelled to Hong Kong on business, as he often does, and put his HK sim card in the phone. It wouldn't work and requires a password. He messaged me yesterday to tell me about it and up to that point was completely unaware that the device was region locked and isn't the sort of chap to go out of his way to look up news on Android devices anyway; he just wants a phone that works as a business device.

Now the issue is, he is out in HK for a month with a brick in his suitcase that he can't use and no way for his clients and colleagues in HK to contact him unless he either buys a local phone and puts his sim in it, or pays for the extortionate roaming charges from the UK. To say he is annoyed would be an understatement. He will be returning the device to the store when he gets back to the country and claim that the device was sold under false pretences (i'm sure he can work out exactly what to say)>

He had a few Samsung devices, which is why he went for the Note 3, but now he wants to divest himself of all of them following the news that this region lock will be rolled out to more than just the Note 3 in an update.

This has also stopped me from buying one too as I was going to replace my old SGS2 with it as, like him, I frequently travel abroad for protracted period on business. I hope Samsung burn for this.

 

[Simon_y7]

@Highrisedrifter. At the XDA forum, there are quite a few posts like yours. Apparently, Hong Kong happened to be on that CSC blacklist for Notes 3 purchased and activated properly in Europe. We're still to discover similar US surprises, as none of these phones have yet been sold here. Unfortunately, since we, Americans, travel abroad much less frequently, we may have to wait a long time before enough people really test it.

Even those for whom the unlock have worked, want to know what is going to happen if they travel to another country and an OTA happens or they have to do a hard reset while there.

 

[Simon_y7]

US are not in blacklist of EU-N9005. Blocked countries are:
China, Hong Kong, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, Thailand, Philipines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Bermuda, Trinidad and Tobago, El Salvador, Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Urugay, Bolivia, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Belarus

xda-developers - View Single Post - SIM restrictions on unlocked European Note3

 

[Highrisedrifter]

xda-developers - View Single Post - SIM restrictions on unlocked European Note3

Thanks Simon. I did a bit of digging yesterday after he messaged me and found the thread in question over at XDA. I am absolutely astonished by Samsung's approach here. After all, if they are touting this device as perfect for the businessman (and if you look at their various launch videos and all the productivity software installed you can also assume they are) then why the hell wouldn't they consider that businessmen frequently go abroad and put in the SIMs from other territories. It's not bloody rocket science..!

 

[Simon_y7]

Here is a perfect example of fresh info coming from Samsung reps:

Health warning: the message below is worrying.

I spoke yet again to the Samsung UK customer service team (+44 330 726 7864) this afternoon (at 5:40pm GMT) as I had not received the email I had been promised this morning with a statement on the region lock. A different rep spoke to me and had the following news to report to me:

- the Samsung UK telephone staff have had problems sending out emails today and therefore have not sent out the statement to me - which was fine by me as these things happen.

- the SIM limitation sticker really is meant to mean what it says - the N9005 is not meant to be compatible with SIMs issued by operators outside the European region - I believe at least some owners are using the Note 3 with SIMs issued by operators outside the EU but the rep was adamant that the Note 3 was not intended by Samsung to be used with SIMs issued by operators outside of the European region, even following first activation.

- the European region Note 3s are only meant to be compatible with SIMs issued by operators from the European region, and this applies equally after activation - I asked repeatedly her to confirm this which she did each time. I tried practical examples too and it got worse: So if I go to Australia I must use a European region SIM in my Note 3 even if I buy the Note 3 SIM-free for ?620? Yes according to the rep. So I asked if I go to Florida on vacation, I have no choice but to use a European region SIM in my Note 3? Yes again according to rep.

- it makes no difference if here in the UK I buy the Note 3 from Carphone Warehouse, Phones 4U, EE or Clove.

- I could buy another phone if I wanted to use a SIM from an operator outside the EU in my mobile - the rep volunteered this to me as it never occurred to me that they might seriously suggest such a policy.

- the rollout of Kitkat is to extend the regional lock to existing SGS3s and Note 2s - I asked if my existing unlocked SGS3 bought unlocked over a year ago is to be subject to the same regional lock if I upgrade. Yes according to rep. So I would not be able to use a SIM from outside the European region in it when travelling? Yes according to the rep.

- no statement can be sent in an email to me by the Samsung UK telephone team to confirm this in writing.

- I can email uk.help@samsung.com with any questions but it might take up to 24 hours to respond. When I pointed out to the rep that I had already done just this, emailing uk.help@samsung.com on Friday evening (27th) and not had a response in over 50 hours (including after checking my spam folder), I was told that sometimes the email team are very busy and she could not say for sure when I would receive a response to any question.

I have asked to get a call back from the Tier 2 rep who I spoke to on Friday (27th) but in the meanwhile I can only stand gobsmacked by the apparent madness of this corporate policy. For example:

- Samsung cannot even implement a draconian region lock policy (if that is what they really intend) properly and consistently - given that some European Note 3s with the European regional lock sticker are reported to be being activated and then successfully used outside the home region with SIMs issued by operators outside the home region - while others are able to activate with home region SIM but not then able to use out of region SIMs when travelling.

- Samsung (whether through its local offices, PR companies or employees) can brief against itself so that some Samsung offices will say one thing and others possibly within the same office, something completely different, on the same day, and day after day.

- the utter, utter lack of leadership from Samsung Global (Electronics) to coordinate and communicate their own policy (whether that policy is good or bad is almost irrelevant) clearly, consistently and transparently - or to communicate it at all.

- complete confusion among retailers, and among Samsung reps talking to retailers, here in the UK as to Samsung's region lock policy, to the extent they are even aware in the first place of the region lock policy and how it operates - which, from first hand exerience, I can say many are not.

 

[21stNow]

If someone starts a petition on change.org, I'll sign it. I would start it, but I'm not that persuasive in writing and I want this petition to be effective.

The problem for now is that only us forum dwellers know and care about this now. It will be ineffective if it only has around 1,500 signatures.

 

[mjohnjanz]

The following is a quote from an article at Androidcentral titled "Here's what's going on with the Note 3's region locking".
The following quote is from Samsung UK:

"In order to provide customers with the optimal mobile experience in each region including customer care services, Samsung has incorporated the ?regional SIM lock? feature into Galaxy Note 3 devices. The product is only compatible with a SIM-card issued from a mobile operator within the region identified on the sticker of the product package. When the device is activated with a SIM card issued from the other region, the device may be automatically locked until it is released at the dedicated service centre.

Once a device is activated normally, the regional SIM lock is automatically released. Users can enjoy the roaming service as usual and can use other region?s SIM card when travelling. The regional SIM lock has been applied to the Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S4 devices through a software update in selective markets. The regional SIM lock does NOT affect the device?s features and performance. Users can continue to enjoy all the advanced features of our products."

 

[Simon_y7]

@mjohnjanz. Why repost something that was later proven inaccurate? :-\ All it takes is to read a few latest posts. Really.

 

[Highrisedrifter]

The following is a quote from an article at Androidcentral titled "Here's what's going on with the Note 3's region locking".
The following quote is from Samsung UK:

"In order to provide customers with the optimal mobile experience in each region including customer care services, Samsung has incorporated the ‘regional SIM lock’ feature into Galaxy Note 3 devices. The product is only compatible with a SIM-card issued from a mobile operator within the region identified on the sticker of the product package. When the device is activated with a SIM card issued from the other region, the device may be automatically locked until it is released at the dedicated service centre.

Once a device is activated normally, the regional SIM lock is automatically released. Users can enjoy the roaming service as usual and can use other region’s SIM card when travelling. The regional SIM lock has been applied to the Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S4 devices through a software update in selective markets. The regional SIM lock does NOT affect the device’s features and performance. Users can continue to enjoy all the advanced features of our products."

Hmmn, believe the bullsh*t from a faceless company that patently doesn't give a rat's *** about the consumer... or believe the evidence of my own eyes. Tough choice.

 

[ne0ne]

I did not read the entire thread but I heard it just has to be activated with a Sim from the region its from and then it can be used with other Sim cards.

Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk 2