The Galaxy Note 3, which Samsung announced earlier on this month, may be a beast in every sense of the word, but it’s not without its shortcomings. Upon looking at the specs alone, it’s hard to pick a fault in a device to which Sammy has applied some of the most high-end hardware at its disposal, but if you’re a frequent traveller and wishing to use that unholy amount of display real estate to browse the Web from outside your own country, you’re going to have a spot of bother on your hands. Yes, as you can see from the title, the Galaxy Note 3, including the Note 2, Galaxy S3, S4 and S4 mini are now being sold region-locked, and considering what the company is offering for its consumers, it would seem a counter-intuitive move on the part of the Korean company.
According to a number of British retailers, the pricey powerhouse – Galaxy Note 3 – is tethered to a region locking system, meaning if one were to venture outside of the Euro confines, a new, local SIM card could not be purchased in order to enjoy any reasonably-priced data usage. Of course, owners of the device can simply flick on the roaming switch, but this is notoriously expensive, and save access to a convenient, cheap or free Wi-Fi hotspot, those considering the £600+ drop on an unlocked Galaxy Note 3 may have a little extra thinking to do.
And while many will have hoped that the Galaxy Note 3 would be the only victim in this move, it would seem that all new major Samsung smartphones sold across Europe, including the Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4 and S4 Mini, will also ship region-locked. With reports flying about in speculation, Samsung stepped out earlier on today with this little gem:
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.
What do you think – would the region locking situation perhaps make you reconsider grabbing a new Samsung Galaxy device? Personally, I think the new rule is an unnecessary burden placed upon the consumer, and I wonder whether there’ll be a subsequent backlash.
Whatever your view, be sure to leave your thoughts and comments via the usual mediums below!
(Source: AllAboutSamsung [Google Translate])
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