Samsung Galaxy Note 3 European version is region locked

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is making its way into about 149 countries around the world starting 25th, which is just two days back but we already have reports of the European version of the device being region locked to the continent, making it impossible for travelers to use it with a local SIM when abroad. This comes via our friends at Clove UK who have stated this fact on their blog. The LTE version, going by the model name SM-N9005 will be region locked to Europe and will not be able to access other International networks when abroad. This is really weird, especially for unlocked units.

The above image clearly states and lists the countries where the device will be supported, alas exclusively. Regarding this issue, Clove states that -

If you travel internationally (outside Europe) and usually insert a local SIM card when in those countries, the Note 3 will NOT be able to use the local network. It will lose all mobile connectivity with the exception of emergency calls.

For example, if you travel to the USA and insert a SIM card issued in the USA, you will not be able to use the Note 3 for any voice calls, text messages and mobile data connection. It will work via a WiFi connectivity only.

Well, there you go. It’s as simple as that. We have seen region locks for Movies and even games. The Gaming industry big shards Sony and Microsoft have just opened up for no regional restrictions for their next generation consoles, but then the supposedly open mobile industry is now facing a new threat. We will try to find if there’s any reasonable explanation for this and let you know. Till then stay tuned, and don’t worry, none of those restrictions exist on our Indian units.