Samsung Confirms about SIM Card Lock on European Galaxy Note 3 and Other Handsets

Today, South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung Electronics has confirmed that some of its smartphones sold in Europe come with a local SIM card lock.

The info emerged yesterday, and an official word on the matter is now available from the handset vendor, with additional info on what all that involves. According to the company, some of its current devices sold in the European Union with SIM cards from carriers in Europe work as usual. Furthermore, the company explains that users can continue using these devices outside the European Union with the SIM card of their carrier via roaming service to appropriate roaming charges to their wireless service provider. What’s more interesting is that Samsung suggests that the device could be unlocked to be used with any other carrier worldwide if a SIM card was not placed inside it, as SamMobile reports.

“If purchased in the European Union and not yet been put into use to be activated for the first time abroad, users can unlock their device for the region free from local Samsung service partners,” the company notes. Samsung has also unveiled that the regional SIM card lock has been applied to models that have been produced starting with the end of July 2013, and that they will be marked with corresponding stickers. The list of affected devices includes Samsung GALAXY S III, Galaxy S II, GALAXY Note, GALAXY S4, GALAXY S4 mini and the GALAXY Note 3.

Additionally, the company explains that this is a functionality of devices sold with SIM cards from mobile carriers in specific countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) and non-EU markets. The list of EEA countries includes: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK, Switzerland, and Croatia. At the same time, the move was put in effect for devices in Albania, Andorra, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino, Serbia, and Vatican City.

It’s yet unclear what the SIM card lock implies, but the general consensus here is that users in Europe who will purchase any of the aforementioned devices won’t be able to place inside them SIM cards from carriers operating in countries that are not mentioned above.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Image credits to Samsung

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