yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Galaxy Note 3 General] marcomcarneiro:
Thanks dxzh.

I did test with different French SIM and they work, it's really not SIM-locked. However, I couldn't get the SIM from other operators to Darty to test.

Unfortunately, I'm back in Brazil for some time, so getting Darty to call them back or give back the money is no longer an option.

I found a few pages with the original Samsung ROM, which alegedly shouldn't void the warranty. From where I stand, I only see 3 options:

* wait for another week or so and see if it will unlock by itself;

* hire one of those online services to unlock via IMEI code (there is a russian company doing that, referenced on this very post a few pages back). SamMobile seems to do it, but doesnt have the Note3 listed yet.

* root the phone and try the region lock away app.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] claudioita:
Root the phone - region unlock.

And make sure your next phone is a Sony, HTC, Nexus or LG phone.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] dxzh:
Another option:

* contact Samsung Brazil customer service. Show them it works with French SIM, explain situation, ask them to sort it out. Report back whether they can, or refuse/"cannot" do so.

By you holding Samsung Global to account, it may help give comfort to others in the same situation and act as a salutary warning to others lucky enough not to be in your shoes. Learning from the experience of others is hopefully the closest others will have to come to this consumer-unfriendly Samsung "support". Moreover, if Samsung get off lightly by many paying the price of opting

first

for the root or unlock route because it is siimply quicker and less painful/pointless than dealing with Samsung "customer service", then far less may be learnt and by far fewer.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] midnite_blue:
This is the first I've heard of the S4 Mini Duos being shipped with the region lock. Sounds like your friend's unit had the warning seal on the box and yours came without this sticker, which itself is interesting. Thanks for informing us... and good choice of asking your questions here despite it being a Note 3 thread. Sorry if you haven't gotten the answers you need.

imyy4you, I agree with cgi that the wisest way forward is to go with another brand.

All the same, in case you do decide to stick with

Sam the Deceiver

, I'll have a go at answering your questions, and maybe others here who know more can correct this.

1. Yes, when the official unlock procedure has worked, it has required an initial use of a sim from the region for which the device is designated (in your case, using the American sim). So far, it seems that you do not have to be physically in the designated region when you “activate“ (in your case, the Americas) for the unlock to work. Following official procedure, however, has been shown to be no guarantee of a successful region unlock.

2. No, there's no setting you have to modify. If it does work, it will be automatic, but we are currently trying to figure out if a certain number of calls or days are required to prime the device for the unlock.

3. No, an unsuccessful attempt at a region unlock using an out-of-region sim (in your case, European) should not brick your phone or the one you got for your friend. Put the American sim back in and you should be 'free' (irony intended) to make & receive calls and pay roaming fees. (Of course, there may be a setting you have to switch to allow your phone to roam.)

Again, I recommend that you dump these phones and buy a different brand when you get home... a Sony, LG or Nexus. (It hasn't been that long since HTC bruised their reputation with similar insults of their own.) If you do keep one or both handsets and try unlocking them, we'd like to hear how it goes. Did the official procedure work and, if so, after how many calls or days? Are you stuck with roaming? Did you buy an unlock code off the Internet? Or did you decide to root and use Chainfire's app, RegionLock Away?

Regardless, safe journey tomorrow! Sorry that Samsung marred your visit here.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Netskyliner:
Bought it from Bouygues Telecom France. Sim unlocked No blue sticker. No network lock in customer.xml

Tested with foreign sim Ok.

Asked Bouygues why did they sell it sim unlocked even on contract, they told me that first phones they received are sim unlocked and that they had to deal with. So not sure that future Note 3 will remain like this.

Envoyé de mon SM-N9005 now Free
[Galaxy Note 3 General] midnite_blue:
Yes, I hope the competition, including Sony, has eyes on this and responds, including giving some of the attention Samsung's been giving to multi-window multitasking. I'm guessing this feature is a big part of their decision to equip the Note 3 with as much RAM as they did... and it's one of the draws for people who go ahead and buy Samsung despite their frustrations.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] betoNL:
I live in Holland where I buy my phones , but I travel a lot to Brazil and always get a local sim card over there...

Since I already decided to hang on my Note2 a little longer , I am curious to know how efficient and/or helpful, a Brazilian Samsung customer service would be, regarding this matter (if there is one that specialized)....

Nobody should be inclined to root his device just to use a region unlock app or purchase a unlock code in order to use his phone as he wishes once abroad...

This is just outrageous and I can't emphasize it enough..

Damn Samsung....

.

.

---------- Post added at 05:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:52 AM ----------

Having read that, I would say that nobody should buy a note 3 with that infamous sticker

Buy one region unlocked our don't buy it..

New Flagship phones appears every 8 months or so...

.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] pnrb:
If I flash an original ROM from an unlocked region will that remove the region lock from my phone without voiding my warranty?
[Galaxy Note 3 General] hifonicy:
I think so... thats my question too for the leaked 4.3 firmware... if it is region locked... if not I will flash it now!
[Galaxy Note 3 General] dxzh:
"Activation" and "attestation"

Is there any correlation between a failure to release the regional SIM lock and a failure to "activate" Knox? Has anyone managed to activate Knox but still failed to have the regional SIM lock released? I ask as perhaps “activation” of the SIM follows a similar “attestation” process as for Knox in which according to Samsung (https://www.samsungknox.com/overview/technical-details):

“Samsung provides attestation capability for mobile devices, more specifically, the ability to check the integrity of the boot loaders and the kernel. The foundation of attestation is the device's unique public/private key pair. In the factory, each device is provisioned a unique pair of public/private keys along with a certificate for the public key, which is signed by a Samsung root private key. At attestation time, an attestation server sends a random challenge to the device to be tested. An app in the TrustZone retrieves the measurements of the boot loaders and the kernel, signs these measurements along with the random challenge and sends result back to the attestation server for final verification.”

Elsewhere Samsung in the context of Knox mentions the user "activates the container" - see http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_gala...-news-6932.php - which presumably means the attestation process. I am wondering whether Samsung’s insistence on “activation” to release the regional SIM lock might involve a similar external challenge/verification "attestation" process to return to a Samsung server the details of the unique device and of the SIM (including its MCC), signed by the unique keys. The result could be verification by the Samsung server and release (somehow) of the regional lock?
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Chalao:
I would be very careful with that as this could mess with CSC and radio and brick your device.

Why don't you root using

Root de la Vega

which will not trip Knox (void your warranty by setting the Knox' flag 0x1) and then run the

RegionLock Away

app?

This is the best you can do imho.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] samaliset:
Hi, I am too in France and I would like to know if you did get yours with contract or just the mobile. Even though some more information if possible since I am interested to buy this mobile but unlocked.

Thanks
[Galaxy Note 3 General] marcomcarneiro:
Good point. Thank you sir, I will do that, will keep you posted.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Simon_y7:
Swapping SIMs when traveling

Please forgive me if my post is to the wrong thread, but I'm about to buy Note 3 in the US (where I live), and this thread seems to be one with many international travelers. When you refer to foreign SIMs, are you referring to walking, say, to a network shop in another country and buying from them a SIM? Or are you referring to SIM's that in many countries are sold at, say, newsstands or convenience stores? And what do you do if you travel through several countries and would like to use your phone in each? Do you buy multiple SIMs? Do you buy a "global SIM" which I found to me a major pain in the neck? Thank you.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] bilal1979:
hii ... I can see that some devices N9005 made in Vietnam and some of them made in korea by samsung such as uk version as well the price of uk version around 1200 usd and the one made in Vietnam by 750 USD. Any advise please
[Galaxy Note 3 General] pnrb:
Thanks, didnt know about the new root

It depends on the countries you travel to. I usually travel to Thailand and the Philippines and would just buy a sim from the airport or any stand I find. A diffrent sim for each country. If by the time of my next travel the sim is still valid I use it or just buy a new one.

It cost next to nothing to buy a sim in these countries :)

If you would still like to keep your roaming number available for calls or SMS from your country, you can buy a cheap phone ( I use an old Nokia ) and use your roaming sim on it. When you get a call you just note the number then use your local sim to call back
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Simon_y7:
RE: Swapping SIMs when traveling

What do you call next to nothing? And what do such SIMs allow? Calls? SMS? Data?

Which roaming SIM? Do you mean the roaming option of the original plan?
[Galaxy Note 3 General] midnite_blue:
You have 13 remaining questions for pnrb for this 24-hr period.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] pnrb:
I mean the price of Prepaid sim is around 2 dollars. After yoy buy it you have to load some money to be able to use it for data, calls & sms.

What I usually do before teavelling to a new country is to check the websites of the local carriers in that country to see the available Prepaid plans they have. That way I know before hand which carrier to choose and how much money to load.

And Yes. I mean the roaming option of the original plan
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Simon_y7:
RE: Swapping SIMs when traveling

Got it, thanks. I still have 12 allowed questions for you in reserve, but will stop for now. :)
[Galaxy Note 3 General] midnite_blue:
Don't worry yourself counting, Simon_y7... I'll keep track for ya! :o
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Simon_y7:
RE: Swapping SIMs when traveling

How about you taking questions now? ;)
[Galaxy Note 3 General] midnite_blue:
...ulp! :confused: :rolleyes: :( :silly: :eek: :crying:
[Galaxy Note 3 General] visitor zhang:
Did you "activate" the phone by your Chinese SIM card firstly? I have the same proplem,and my chinese SIM card is locked so far.

Now,I can only use the local sim card. Thank you for your reply.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] elpicard:
did someone tried to activate the phone with a regional SIM (phone: German, SIM: German ROM: German) and then change the ROM with one of the target region (Phone: German, SIM: Asia or America, ROM: Custom or official Asia or America)?
[Galaxy Note 3 General] elpicard:
Did someone try to call samsung and ask for the code? Any official statement? I just have chat with sammy customer service in Germany and they told me that in case of regional block the customer service must be contact in order to obtain the code.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] bogdan1980:
Code cost money at sammy
[Galaxy Note 3 General] elpicard:
Ok, that's something that samsung's support didn't tell me
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Netskyliner:
Just mobile but it's sim unlocked even on contract
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Apoxx:
Ah well, guess the only thing I can do is just stay away from samsung products until they become consumer friendly again. I wish more people would do the same.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] penfold:
I don't understand the obsession with lawsuits and petitions ...

The best thing you can do is let samsung know they have lost the plot and your business with your wallets.

There are many other manufacturers you can choose from ...I have been a sammy user for the last 5 years and three phones but the only thing this region lock debacle has persuaded me to do is to buy an LG as my next phone.

In fact, I will never buy another samsung phone as long as they continue this apple-like behavior ...locked bootloaders, unavailability of exynos source codes, region locking, etc.

So no need to get mad, just don't buy any more of their phones and good luck to them ....give another more consumer friendly manufacturer your money.

...here's hoping enough people do the same to send them a clear message and hurt them right in their bank account.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] midnite_blue:
use it or lose it...

'Lost the plot' and 'debacle' sure describe this well. Yes, thankfully, we have economic rights and economic power... I'm glad you intend to exercise them, tmzbeme! Each regular customer like yourself who leaves Samsung not only deprives them of decades of a certain amount of cash, that cash goes to the competition, which they can use to become more competitive.

Some people will recognize the injustice in Samsung's behavior but choose to buy their products anyway because, well, they like those products' features and simply want to integrate them into their lives. That's OK... it's each person's choice to make. That's exactly the meaning of freedom.

Others are thinking about how, beyond 'voting with one's wallet,' we have legal rights and legal power, too... we remember that history's shown, over & over again: you lose the rights you don't defend. Often it's the initiative of the few that protects the rights enjoyed by all.

I'd be willing to bet that most people insulted by Samsung's region-lock offensive aren't even directly affected by it... namely, we don't travel internationally much, if at all, we don't have plans to travel or even have a passport. But we recognize an incursion on our legal rights when we see it, and we want to speak up about that, to exercise our power to defend what's right and take a stand... use the law and exercise our collective ability to create it. If something's wrong but legal, it's some people's instinct to want to see that change.

I'm glad you're urging others to boycott Samsung... your suggestion is a political act in itself. True, there's no need for people to get upset, but its OK if they do. Some people go straight to a decision for effective action, some get angry first. Either way, its always good to raise your voice when you recognize your rights are being challenged.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] avenging:
our company driver just called me and asked me about the region lock but i had no idea how to help him. but this was not for the note 3 but for the note 2 which he bought 3 months ago (in saudi arabia) and gave to his father . now his father is in the states and he says it is region locked. anybody any idea if they region locked older models with the firmware update?
[Galaxy Note 3 General] midnite_blue:
...a sad story

'Fraid so, avenging. The Note 2 was on their list.

(Trying hard to read your post and not be angry.)
[Galaxy Note 3 General] avenging:
i will update when i get a response from him. we should be hearing now from people with older models if this happened to them. i will try a philippine sim on my note 2 later when i am home.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] bogdan1980:
S4 didn't sell quite well at all according to inside infos, and so the note 3. That is before the lock and bootloader lock.

Low sell problem are pushing yellow eyes to release Galaxy S5 and Note 4 earlier, in January or so.

That's when Samsung will receive an big hit from consumer market. They don't care about how to please us, they care about our money. Without our money will be lost.

And because now any release by Samsung is back up by almost identical release from Huawei (who is an giant in China), LG, ZTE, Sony,Oppo, Motorola, Nexus, we don't have to worry too much, just pick another brand.

To tell you the truth we don't miss anything from Samsung that another brand can't do , it's not Apple or so.

From what i hear Huawei and Lg will release an business bootloader lock and region lock as well, so all that remain is Nexus, Sony, or any other China producer like Oppo, Hyundai , excluding Huawei etc.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] avenging:
there are rumors about that of the S4 (unconfirmed by the way, both s5 release and "disappointing" sales despite already selling more than 22 million in less than 3 months), but the note 3? too early to tell if its not selling well at all. Clearly the region lock will affect their sales, but there are many unlocked note 3's sold here. Also this would be a slight setback for me even if i travel outside a specific region because i have a really cheap nokia phone i can use for any local sim in case my note will have any restriction. We will see if a philippine sim will work on my note 2 later i certainly hope so...
[Galaxy Note 3 General] dxzh:
This seems surprising. To date, I cannot find an example of a CSC block list which contains either of the US MCCs - at least as reported on XDA (whether for the S3, S4 or Note 3). Would you be able to find out:

- what CSC this is (dial *#0011#) and also ask if the father can look in the system/csc/customer.xml folder to see if there is any NetworkLock list?

- whether it might instead be locked to a particular carrier in Saudi Arabia - has the father managed in the last three months to use any SIM from any other network (from Saudi or elsewhere) in the phone (other than his original home network SIM)?
[Galaxy Note 3 General] avenging:
from what i gathered, he bought it in extra. They are a chain of electronic stores and I believe they usually sell lock-free phones pre-note 3 same as jarir bookstore but jarir bookstore is selling the region locked Note 3's so I am not sure if extra is selling the locked ones as well. about the csc i dont know about this i will try to mention it to him.

based on the sticker in the note 3s in jarir bookstore, the middle east note 3s will work in Pakistan and indeed his sim worked in pakistan. now the US will be a different matter. will update when i have news.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] barokov:
NO - I used an European SIM card first. I used it for about a hour and than try to use the Chinese SIM card. And the phone asking me for Unlock code. After that I used the European SIM card for some time - about 10 days. After that tried again with the Chinese SIM card - it works fine without asking for any unlock codes.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] claudioita:
I will not miss samsung and I never missed apple ahaha.

Both company ..... bye bye
[Galaxy Note 3 General] wetsleet:
Oh dear, this doesn't get any better. Here is the answer, read it carefully...

"Samsung E-Support

1 hour ago

Hi Martin,

Activated normally is by entering a sim card into the phone from the country it was manufactured for. Once this sim card has activated this phone you can insert a sim from any other country within the constituency region EG: EU and the phone will work.

Thanks."

remember, this is an official Samsung reply on the Samsung UK website
[Galaxy Note 3 General] padlad:
Just read a few more questions and answers from there and they still maintain that if you activate it with the correct region SIM, then the region lock is deactivated. :banghead:
[Galaxy Note 3 General] penfold:
..where did you hear that?
[Galaxy Note 3 General] claudioita:
Which is not true.

Tested personally with my note 3
[Galaxy Note 3 General] betoNL:
The answer my friend, it's blowing in the wind ( Bob Dylan)

.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] penfold:
BS

What the hell does that mean?

A phone for the uk market must be activated with a uk sim, and then can be used anywhere in the EU? ....regardless if the CSC includes spain?

...so a phone bought from expansys with a spanish firmware cannot be activated in the uk?

Are they having problems finding translators or are their heads really that far up their asses that they don't know or don't care what nonsense they are spouting?
[Galaxy Note 3 General] sproglet:
This is a big change in track from Samsung report. Previously they have stated

Once a device is activated normally, the regional SIM lock is automatically released. (5 days ago) but today they are basically saying it is not unlocked.

---------- Post added at 03:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:05 PM ----------

I've asked a question. Let's see if they answer/publish it:

---------- Post added at 04:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:14 PM ----------

Just called Samsung UK and spoke to Technical who said it's EU locked then asked to make a complaint and was put through to customer services.

They have sent me an email that states:

The second paragraph is the important one.

Now when I next go on holiday if I CANNOT use another region's sim I will have the right to demand the full cost of the phone back under the UK breach of contract regulations.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] elpicard:
Samsung Germany told me that the activation could take one week to 10 days to apply. Not by written.

I just asked my local sammy office which is the cost of the code. For me this is a deal breaker. Tomorrow I have to decide which mobile I will buy, so far sammy is now in last place among my options.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] marcomcarneiro:
Guys, in case you're interested, here's an update:

Samsung Brazil can't help. They said I needed to call Samsung France and they would be able to generate the unblocking code.

Samsung France said it's working as designed and it should not work outside of Europe, period.

Have anyone tried the online unlocking services? Do you know if it works?

Thanks,

Marco
[Galaxy Note 3 General] mathieulh:
I just ordered a HK SIM on eBay. I will see how it goes then.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Huxflux:
Today I first called a samsung service center here in Sweden, and they said it's no problem to unlock the phone from the regional lock, the cost is about 28 euro for that.

After that i called samsung support to ask if they shouldn't take the cost for a failed automatic unlock. First reply was no, it's not working outside europe... i told him that their service center can unlock it, he then went away to ask about it. He came back and now told me that the phone will automaticlly unlock after 2 days of use with the local sim...

It's so nice with all these consistent answers from samsung.... :rolleyes:
[Galaxy Note 3 General] dxzh:
That is really good of you to take the time to follow up with both Samsung Brazil and Samsung France. If you can insist on them putting something in writing, even better.

As lessons go, the refusal to remove the regional SIM lock on your unlocked phone shows how Samsung is anything but on the consumer's side on this. The Orwellian newspeak of Samsung customer service when they say that the regional SIM lock is there "in order to provide customers with the optimal mobile experience" beggars belief.

An unlocking service may be the way to go as so many already seem to have used such services successfully and for a price. Besides the price though, there should probably be some caution in sending your IMEI and other details to a third party as in the wrong hands they might somehow be used to clone your SIM? That Samsung seem recklessly to disregard the cost and potential risks to its customers of its regional SIM lock policy seems to speak volumes about the depth of the "customer experience" Samsung aims to deliver to its customers.