Help No sims other than Euro ones (European version)

[Scootmien]

I've just read a post over on XDA that shows a picture of a sticker on the box stating that only European SIM cards will be recognised in the phone.

If this is in fact true for all Note 3 handsets, this is a complete deal breaker for me as I want the phone to use when I am over in the States without paying the ridiculously high roaming rates my carrier inflicts on me.

Can those of you who have them in the UK please state if this is the case with you? It would be helpful to state where you got the phone and what carrier it is on or whether it is unlocked too please. If any UK owners happen to have an American sim, can they try it in their device and let me know please?

Thanks for any assistance.

 

[Simon_Gardner]

Mine came from Samsung direct. It's got the sticker.

 

[MYU_QPR]

I ordered my Note 3 because I run a website and needed something more like a computer than phone.

Anyway sending it back as they sent me the wrong colour, I've been told that they will send me P&P that will take 5 working days, and then I have to send it back to them which will take another 5 working days. Only then will the send me the phone I wanted.

I'll be working in India for 5 weeks and thought this phone should do the trick, I was going to buy a sim out there on Vodafone, same as my own network. On the box it says "European Model: This product is only compatible with a SIM-card issued from a mobile operator within Europe."

Why... and who was the brains behind that?

I can pay

 

[Scootmien]

There's a lot of people on XDA with UK phones who are having this issue and after trying a sim from Asia/USA etc, they report that the phone doesn't work.

Thus is an incredibly big issue for me and means that the phone is now completely off the table. What were Samsung thinking?

I was so stoked for this phone too

SIM restrictions on unlocked European Note3 - xda-developers

Edit: I'll continue to check though.

 

[jhawkkw]

I wonder if it's a bug, or a power play by other carriers sick of people importing the Euro phones and using them to avoid all the carrier drama?

 

[redpill2016]

I assume this is just a software lock, you can probably get it removed.

 

[Scootmien]

It's not a bug as there are stickers n the box for both the Euro and US variants that state this.

One member of XDA rather rudely says that actually even if you buy what you think is an 'unlocked' device, what you are actually buying is a 'region unlocked' device that is not actually unlocked period. In the UK, generally speaking, it is more expensive to buy an unlocked phone than one locked to a carrier, so this is misleading on behalf of Samsung.

If I buy a region unlocked phone, I will still need to unlock it further to use a sim from the USA, although there are no guarantees that this will work.

Still researching...

 

[Scootmien]

I assume this is just a software lock, you can probably get it removed.

True, but there are no guarantees.

 

[jhawkkw]

Wow, this is a really bad move IMO. Anything being locked whether it be carrier, region, bootloader, etc annoys me quite a bit.

 

[Scootmien]

Wow, this is a really bad move IMO. Anything being locked whether it be carrier, region, bootloader, etc annoys me quite a bit.

I agree. It's why I pay more to buy unlocked phones from the get go. I should not need to do a hack in order to use the phone as I wish.

It strikes me as weird that if they are touting this as a business device, and businessmen go abroad to the US from the UK all the time, why would they lock it to a region? It just doesn't make sense.

I refuse to give up hope though. I really want this device. I sent a message to Samsung on Twitter; let's see if they respond.

 

[MYU_QPR]

I might cancel the order full stop tomorrow. We've paid for the phone so why are they restricting us?

Are mobile phone companies paying phone manufacturers to do this?

My contract is supposed to cost me

 

[jhawkkw]

I agree. It's why I pay more to buy unlocked phones from the get go. I should not need to do. Hack in order to use the phone as I wish.

It strikes me as weird that if they are touting this as a business device, and businessmen go abroad to the US from the UK all the time, why would they lock it to a region? It just doesn't make sense.

I refuse to give up hope though. I really want this device. I sent a message to Samsung on Twitter; let's see if they respond.

Yeah, that does seem like a contradiction of their target audience. I only buy unlocked devices as well, can't stand being locked down. I wonder what brainiac came up with that bright idea :banghead:

 

[Simon_Gardner]

 

[Simon_Gardner]

The region slugging of DVDs is why I refused to touch them.

 

[redpill2016]

This may not have been Samsung's idea, I don't see how they get any benefit out of it.

 

[Scootmien]

I'm on my iPad so can't post photos. Whilst your pic looks similar, does it have the writing in blue like the one in the link below please?

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

"This product is only compatible with a sim-card issued from a mobile operator within Europe."

 

[MYU_QPR]

This may not have been Samsung's idea, I don't see how they get any benefit out of it.

This is my point, I believe they are being paid to do this by mobile networks.

My Note 3 will cost me over

 

[jhawkkw]

This may not have been Samsung's idea, I don't see how they get any benefit out of it.

That would be a more likely scenario in my opinion. Either that or government regulatory intervention doing so. But carriers seems more likely to me.

 

[Simon_Gardner]

This may not have been Samsung's idea, I don't see how they get any benefit out of it.

My chum who used to work in the field said over dinner that it was almost certainly a commercial deal with phone networks. So somebody hopes to make money from it.

 

[Simon_Gardner]

I'm on my iPad so can't post photos. Whilst your pic looks similar, does it have the writing in blue like the one in the link below please?

It's the same. I just did a quick dirty B+W scan of the box.

(My chum remarked it also gives the lie to the claim on the box it is recyclable as with the sticker, it isn't. The foil renders the whole thing non-recyclabe unless removed.)

 

[Simon_Gardner]

I wonder if the secessionists get their way and England pulls out of the EU, the phones will stop working here?

 

[redpill2016]

We must consult Mr. Farage!

 

[Simon_Gardner]

We must consult Mr. Farage!

I won't in-line this...
http://imageshack.us/a/img602/4786/faragesquish.jpg

 

[MYU_QPR]

I found this and do a search for "GalaxSim Unlock" in Google Play, it's an App.

It seems to work on all other phones and maybe we just have to wait for the new update.

 

[MYU_QPR]

I'm new and unable to send links, do a Youtube search on this.

I think we'll be able to unlock this phone 100%, give it a few days and we'll be FREE!!!!

"Unlock Galaxy Note 2 II - How to Unlock Samsung Galaxy Note 2 I317, T889, N7100 by Unlock Code"

They can unlock any phone, I just seen the list on their website. The Note 3 has only just been launched, so it will be a few days/week before we can do this.