Samsung is quietly restricting how SIM cards are used overseas — but it's not as bad as you'd think.
According to a sticker found on the packaging of Galaxy Note 3 smartphones in the U.S. and Europe — as spotted by DigitalTrends — the product is only compatible with SIM cards issued and activated from the country or region it was purchased in.
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Many originally believed this meant if you bought the Galaxy Note 3 in the U.S. and wanted to buy a cheap SIM card in France while on vacation, Samsung wouldn't let you do that. (Outside of Wi-Fi, you'd have to either leave your device turned off or rack up roaming charges from your carrier.)
But this actually isn't the case: The region lock is only engaged if the phone is initially set up with a SIM card from a region other than the one the phone was purchased in, according to a Samsung statement to GigaOm. The lock is apparently intended to make things harder for foreign resellers — individuals who might buy a U.S. model and ship it to someone overseas — and shouldn't interfere with travelers using foreign SIM cards for a short period of time.
A statement says other "Samsung products are now provided with a local SIM lock" too, including the Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4, Galaxy S4 Mini, Galaxy Note and Note 2. Only those manufactured after July 13 are affected, the report said.
European models can only be set up with a SIM card issued in the European Union, while American-bought models can only be set up with SIM cards issued "within the Americas,” including North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean.
What do you think about Samsung's very specific form of region-locking phones? Let us know in the comments below.
BONUS: Hands On With Samsung Galaxy Note 3
With the Galaxy Note 3, Samsung upgrades its stylus-packing big-screen phone with a 5.7-inch full HD screen and some new tricks for power users. It ships Sept. 25 worldwide.
Left to right: the 6.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Mega, the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 3, the 5.55-inch Galaxy Note II, and the 5.3-inch Galaxy Note. The Note 3 is the only model that is full HD (1,920 x 1,080).
The S Pen returns in the Note 3, with new features.
One of the new features is Air Command, which calls up an S Pen-specific menu if you press the stylus button while hovering over the display.
The special Flipboard app for Samsung's Note devices, which interacts with Air View hovering of the stylus, works well with the Note 3.
The Note 3's window case could be better -- it has trouble staying closed -- but it has a nice leather-like feel.
Like other Samsung phones, the capacitive "hard" buttons on the bottom light up only when you press or hover over them.
The apps that you can use with the Galaxy Gear are in a separate folder.
Image: Mashable