Help Cant make or receive call in HK, China or the USA Samsung SM-G900F

[DanSuk]

I have a Samsung SM-G900F (unlocked) and it works fine in the UK. As soon as I take it to the USA or HK / China I cant make or receive calls. It offers for me to join the carrier etc. If I put my sim card in my friends phone it works fine and can make and receive calls on my number, so it must be the phone thats the issue.
Is this a 'Region Locking' issue or a setting in the phone somewhere?
Please help this is driving me nuts!

 

[ironass]

I have a Samsung SM-G900F (unlocked) and it works fine in the UK. As soon as I take it to the USA or HK / China I cant make or receive calls. It offers for me to join the carrier etc. If I put my sim card in my friends phone it works fine and can make and receive calls on my number, so it must be the phone thats the issue.
Is this a 'Region Locking' issue or a setting in the phone somewhere?
Please help this is driving me nuts!

Hello and welcome to Android Forums DanSuk

There are 3 things you need to be aware of when using your Galaxy S5 international model, G900F, in a different country for the first time...

1. To region unlock it, make 5 mins of calls. See, Samsung's new region-locking sticker isn't as scary as before, and actually explains what's going on

2. Not all networks, particularly some of the U.S. networks, are compatible with a lot of phones. U.S. CDMA networks for instance. To check your phone's compatibility with a network, see, Will My Phone Work?

3. Some carriers do not have roaming agreements with all carriers worldwide or need to be advised of their sim use in another country.

 

[DanSuk]

I have made hours of calls on the phone in the UK where I live and usually use it before going to HK / USA. Do you mean I have to insert a sim card purchased in China (where I am at the moment) and make 5 mins of calls and then replace it with my sim card and it will work?
(I am with EE network by the way)
Dont forget:
If I put my sim card in my friends phone it works fine and can make and receive calls on my number, so it must be the phone thats the issue.

 

[mikedt]

I have made hours of calls on the phone in the UK where I live and usually use it before going to HK / USA. Do you mean I have to insert a sim card purchased in China (where I am at the moment) and make 5 mins of calls and then replace it with my sim card and it will work?
(I am with EE network by the way)
Dont forget:
If I put my sim card in my friends phone it works fine and can make and receive calls on my number, so it must be the phone thats the issue.

Are you roaming or are you using a Chinese SIM? If it's a SIM you bought here and it's China Telecom, that won't work in a Samsung SM-G900F, because it doesn't have CDMA/EVDO. What's your friend's phone, make, model and what carrier?

Your Samsung should already be region activated, because you've been making calls with it in the UK. That's only an initial activation that Samsung does, to deter the grey market, it's different to carrier SIM-locks on their branded and subsidized phones.

 

[DanSuk]

Are you roaming or are you using a Chinese SIM? If it's a SIM you bought here and it's China Telecom, that won't work in a Samsung SM-G900F, because it doesn't have CDMA/EVDO. What's your friend's phone, make, model and what carrier?

Your Samsung should already be region activated, because you've been making calls with it in the UK. That's only an initial activation that Samsung does, to deter the grey market, it's different to carrier SIM-locks on their branded and subsidized phones.

I am roaming, not using a Chinese Sim. I dont know the make of the friends phone. What is CDMA/EVDO? is it a setting that would normally be in the 'More Networks/Network Mode' setting on my phone (if I had the right model)? At the moment its on the setting 'LTE/WCDMA/GSM auto connect'

 

[mikedt]

CDMA/EVDO is a cellular network technology used by China Telecom, which your S5 from the UK doesn't have. However it should be OK for China Unicom(GSM/WCDMA) and China Mobile(GSM). What happens if you try your friend's SIM in your phone? I assume he's in China and is using a Chinese SIM.

 

[DanSuk]

CDMA/EVDO is a cellular network technology used by China Telecom, which your S5 from the UK doesn't have. However it should be OK for China Unicom(GSM/WCDMA) and China Mobile(GSM). What happens if you try your friend's SIM in your phone? I assume he's in China and is using a Chinese SIM.

No its a UK phone and a UK SIM. So which UK phones actually work in China? Is there a version of the Samsung S5 that will work in China and the USA?

 

[mikedt]

The phone you got, a Galaxy S5 SM-G900F, should work in China, except for Telecom. That's why I suggest you try it with a Chinese SIM, like Unicom or Mobile. And it definitely should work in HK, all networks. If it was a roaming problem with your EE UK SIM, it wouldn't work in your friend's phone either. Any UK phones should work here either for roaming, or a local Chinese SIM if they're unlocked.

 

[DanSuk]

The phone you got, a Galaxy S5 SM-G900F, should work in China, except for Telecom. That's why I suggest you try it with a Chinese SIM, like Unicom or Mobile. And it definitely should work in HK, all networks. If it was a roaming problem with your EE UK SIM, it wouldn't work in your friend's phone either. Any UK phones should work here either for roaming, or a local Chinese SIM if they're unlocked.

WHAT I CANT WORK OUT IS THE SAME THING HAPPENS WHEN IN NEW YORK- WHY IS THAT? when I put my sim in an apple phone in china of new york it works

 

[mikedt]

Well quite frankly I'm at a loss now, all I can say that phone should work in the States for roaming, or local SIM with a GSM/HSDPA carrier(provided it's completely unlocked). I'm originally from the UK myself, and have taken UK phones to China / HK and they've worked no problem, and vice-versa. And I know other people who have as well, including Samsung phones.

Samsung's initial region lock is for when you're first activating the phone, you have to insert a local SIM for the particular region and make a five minute call with it. Then it should work anywhere. They done that to deter the grey market. Did you actually buy the phone in the UK and it is an EU region version? It might actually be worth you checking with Samsung service about it.