yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Mr_Jones:
Samsung S4 'regional lock'

I am on trip from europe to Thailand via Dubai.

I try my new S4 on Hamburg airport with Dubai prepayd card and phone ask me about unlocking code, I try TrueMove Thailand card and this same question about unlocking code ;). I put german Vodafone card it works and first card inside was Orange Poland card. Brand new phone from Orange Poland shop they told is sim lock free but reality is different. I make chat with Samsung Polska and have answer 'this phone is for european market only he will accept only european cards he will not work with another continent sim cards'.

Screen print from chat (remove space from link) :

http ://i.imgur. com/EVPSWhR.jpg

And problem is not with 'gray market' but with money from GSM providers, simply Samsung idea to GSM providers sell more our phones you will have more money from roaming charges from your customers !!!
[Galaxy Note 3 General] midnite_blue:
I think this is a good idea, Chiron43... in fact, I was working on a similar list when you posted (good work!). Here's what I'd add, underlined & in red. (The red, underlined parts, below, are words that I added.)
[Galaxy Note 3 General] DjeMBeY:
I'm very busy at the moment... I'll make one sooon...

stay tuned
[Galaxy Note 3 General] samaliset:
Ok, some more clarification here in France.

I called the store in Paris, the lady confirmed me that the phone will will work in all zones once it is activated with my local sim card's dealer. However when I told her if they guaranty the unblocking if it does not work, she answered no since she does not have this information and anyway she does not know how to do it. In this respect she advised me to contact the hot line which I have done that immediately. Their answer was clear cut, after the lady refereed to her boss, the phone will work only with one zone, that where you buy from and with the zone sim card. No other way she said is possible but to use the roaming while one is in other zone.

Nothing can be clearer.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Onweel2:
and this the prove that all Samsung Support not knowing what going on.

https://www.facebook.com/samsungmobilebelgium/posts/576449762415446?comment_id=5105398&offset=0&total_comments=7&notif_t=feed_comment

they told the differnet thing.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] bubblesmoney:
please upload your region lock photos of the box (all regions) to amazon listings

amazon has not shown the region lock stickers in the listings.

would the OP or anyone who has access to the photos please upload them to amazon as users can upload their photos there

amazon black version http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-Free-Smartphone/dp/B00F0FVKRM/ref=cm_rdp_product

amazon white version http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-Free-Smartphone/dp/B00F0FVKN6/ref=cm_rdp_product

please upload the photos so that it affects sales and forces samsung to retract from this stupid locking of sim free phones bought for full price.

will wait till the nexus 5 is launched to see if samsung reverses this stupid policy or will buy nexus 5 instead.

Does anyone know if there is any chance of getting a full refund on my S4 (with contract) bought a few months ago if samsung region locks my S4 with kitkat update. sale of goods act can apparently be enforced for 6years in the UK but i have no clue how!
[Galaxy Note 3 General] midnite_blue:
I just followed your link and read what Samsung Mobile Belgium wrote to you. They begin by saying that Samsung introduced the regional SIM lock "feature" ..."in order to provide customers with the optimal mobile experience."

The arrogance and condescension nauseates me.

Really? What's next... a side order of castor beans, since ricin's well known for 'bringing out the flavor' of our tacos? I suppose they think they can sell us anything.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Avignon:
Can the MCC list be totally wiped from the CSC?

Sorry if my use of the terms is not precise.

I have a Note 1 on Telus in Canada, but have never unlocked it or rooted it.

I do travel frequently to Europe and we carry 2 unlocked Blackberry Bolds with GoSim SIMs in them (UK #s).

Is this scenario possible:

1) I buy a Note 3 outright from my carrier, Telus, here in Toronto.

2) I activate it on Telus, then pay to have the carrier lock released, as per any terms Telus has for unlocking. ( I'm on contract with Telus, so in Canada I continue to use their network).

3) I assume that the region lock is still in place at this point.

4) I remove the MCC list from the CSC (?). Is this possible by "rooting" the phone, or by any other method? ( considering I don't care about warranty) Does rooting the phone remove any of the S Pen functionality, etc. ?

I've been waiting for the Note 3 for some time, but now am holding off. Since this region lock surfaced, I've been seriously looking at the Z1 Ultra, but so far it doesn't quite cut it for me. If I bought a Note 3, I would want to know that down the road, if I wanted to unlock it for travel globally, that I could.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] BullHorn7:
Keep all the info in this thread, no reason to spread it even further. Please, OP, just edit the first post with some of the info we gathered: Russian unlock code works (for now), unlocking with a local sim works but only in countries that aren't blacklisted by Samsung, etc.

Sent via Mobile
[Galaxy Note 3 General] rahularora1:
hey guys, ok got my note 3 (sim free) on saturday from phones4u, used it on EE until today, just tried my etisalat u.a.e sim in the phone and it worked straight off.

Also just tried it with an airtel india sim, and no unlock code screen.

My box did have the region lock sticker on it as well.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] wis38:
Anand just posted a nice review http://www.anandtech.com/show/7376/samsung-galaxy-note-3-review/7

including a limited mention to region locking in the cellular section ("This also happens at the same time Samsung has started region locking devices").
[Galaxy Note 3 General] dxzh:
Independent tech reviews?

Good point. For amusement, guess how many out of the 14 US reviews currently listed on the thread at http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2465421 even mention the region lock once? How independent can reviewers be if they need the ongoing relationship with large companies in order to receive the early preview of the latest product?

---------- Post added at 03:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:47 PM ----------

That sound great. Could you post the CSC file name? You should see it if you dial *#1234# into stock telephone dialler.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] bubblesmoney:
for those who unlocked using the russian website, can you please update here after two or three weeks, reason being i remember someone mentioning the unlock for other regions will work only for 2 weeks as mentioned in their post.

if this is a permanent unlock then might think about this as an option as i really like the phone other than this region lock issue. i need the phone to work in the usa, india and rest of EU and middle east as i want my phone to work when i visit relatives abroad too. dont want to carry an expensive brick and use a second phone for holidays.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] rahularora1:
sure its N9005OXABMI6
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Jockel-ct:
Just for information: At least some of the phones Samsung sends out to the press in germany do not have the region-lock-sticker. (And a vietnam SIM does work without a password or code in our exemplar). So it's probably simply not possible with the press samples, to find out anything about the region lock. This FYI only, this is not an excuse that the journalists don't try to get their fingers on a retail box :)

Greetings, Joerg (c't Magazine Germany)
[Galaxy Note 3 General] wfire:
Anything is possible, alas! But... all the evidence by people submitted thus far seems to suggest that the moment you "pay to have the carrier lock released", that removes ALL locks, including any region lock. In other words, we are guessing at this point that carrier lock and region lock are the same thing, and that removing one with a paid code removes "the lock" - regardless of prior level.

I agree with this sentiment completely. But I just want to point out - if what we're seeing on the thread is correct, I would guess that US phones are not "region locked" because they are already under the much tighter "carrier lock." I know that when I buy a US phone (since I live in the US), the phone is carrier locked, and I suspect that when I use an unlock code on that phone, it does not just change me from carrier lock to region lock but does in fact change me to completely unlocked. This is just my opinion, based on everything we've seen in the thread so far. I'm buying a Note 3 next week and will unlock it immediately - alas, I will have no way to test every SIM in the world, but I'm pretty sure we're on point here.

Note I am in no way defending the carriers at all here! I agree completely that US carriers are evil, and Samsung has just lowered itself to that evil level by imposing this new locking scheme! The only thing I'm saying here is that, it appears to my eyes, and I may be wrong, but it appears to my eyes that there is only one "lock" - a phone is either "locked" (either to a single carrier or group of carriers in a region), or "unlocked". I don't see any evidence from reports here that there are three levels of locked.

AT least not so far. (Contrasting views/evidence solicited and begged here! We need to know!)
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Ficob:
CSC N9005OXXBMI4

LOCKED FOR EUROPE

I try a Telecom-Personal Argentina sim, and ask for pin
[Galaxy Note 3 General] tmj12:
That's really confusing as most have reported that the local Asian SIM cards do not work on the EU SIM activated Note 3. I wish Samsung would just man up and release an official statement to clear this up for once and all. I agree with the others that everyone should just stop buying the Note 3 so that the forecasted sales take a hit - at least until they have sorted out this mess.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] rahularora1:
Anything I can pull off my phone to help you guys figure this out?
[Galaxy Note 3 General] dxzh:
Same CSC as http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=46065779&postcount=702. But note that phone on that thread had had a Russian unlock code applied and a custom ROM before it worked.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] lonelyw:
I received my phone on the 26th of september from Handtec, I inserted my Three network sim card and everything worked well. today after reading about the region locked phones I tried to use my friend's Jordanian sim card, it asked me for an unlock code. I'm very disappointed with Samsung
[Galaxy Note 3 General] AcostaJA:
No Way I'll get another Locked phone, now I'll back to my Old escheme, a CellPhone+Tablet intead the Phablet, maybe I'll go to an iPhone 5C or an HTC One as Phone/WiFiAP and a Note 10.1 2014 WiFi for when I need an Bigger Screen.

Thanks Sammy you make my Life Easier
[Galaxy Note 3 General] dxzh:
I still suspect that the CSC may contain a list of MCCs to block but who knows until delve into the CSCs out there. If it is right that T-mobile customers can carrier unlock after 40 days with T-mobile, then a region lock in the CSC (based on MCCs with a wildcard for MNCs) sitting at a separate level to the network lock (based on MNC) might not be so pointless to Samsung. One clue may be whether the phones in the US are shipping with the Americas region sticker on them - they might not be I suppose - not sure if any reports yet - we will probably hear more as people unbox in North America as to whether there are any patterns developing as to use of the stickers and the existence of MCC block lists in the CSC.

It would be great if someone could sit down and write a step-by-step process as to how the average punter with a Note 3 can find any MCC list in the CSC file of that Note 3. Clearly everyone can identify the CSC file in that phone by simply dialling *#1234# in the stock telephone dialler. Looking into the contents of the CSC file is a bit more involved - but it could be really worthwhile though in showing what is going on and spotting patterns across, and as importantly within, regions - but it is dependent on people being shown clearly (if not too simply) how to access the contents of the CSC file ...

---------- Post added at 05:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:58 PM ----------

Sorry to hear that. Do you know the CSC file name? Try dialling *#1234# in stock telephone dialler.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] lonelyw:
thanks

CSC : N9005OXABMI6
[Galaxy Note 3 General] dxzh:
N9005OXABMI6 is the same CSC as reported by rahularora1 worked with a etisalat UAE SIM and an Airtel India SIM (following purchase of Note 3 from Phones 4U and use with the EE network). It would be good to see what MCC list is inside that particular CSC. Will have to see if someone can work out how to explain the precise steps to do this.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] bubblesmoney:
thank you for that confirmation. which part of UAE specifically did you get the sim from and which part of india did you get the airtel sim from. just asking as i have family spread across and am interested in this issue. i gather india has different MCC according to wiki
[Galaxy Note 3 General] rahularora1:
Hi as far as I'm aware uae sims are all the same, I've bought mine from dubai btw. Airtel India was bought in Delhi. I'm sure I have more sims lying around so will check further when I get a chance.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] ayjaym:
Leaked Samsung roadmap from 2015

I travelled forward a year in my iTime machine to obtain Samsung's 2015 roadmap. Here are some of the key points

Following the great success of our customer experience optimisation program, we are extending this to provide even greater emotional resonance for valued customers.

1. Starting mid-2015, all Samsung phones will feature the Samsung Warranty Experience. If the phone is carrier-locked, at the end of the customer's contract period the phone will automatically be fully SIM-locked so that no SIM will function until a new unlock code has been obtained from the carrier. The customer can achieve this by signing up to a new contract for the full term. At the end of this term the process will repeat.

2. If the customer wishes to trade in the handset, or resell it, Samsung will unlock it for a fee of USD100 for a period of two years, after which the phone will re-lock and fresh fee will be payable.

3. A customer purchasing an unlocked phone (that is, unlocked to their local geographical region, which is the immediate country or US state in which they reside only), can choose to purchase extra roaming functionality from Samsung. For roaming functionality within the entire US or EMEA region, a fee of USD50 is payable for each region. For world roaming, a fee of USD100 is payable. This functionality automatically lapses after two years, after which an additional fee is required to extend it.

4. An unlocked phone is automatically keyed to the customer's identity via the Samsung Fingerprint reader on new devices. Should the customer wish to transfer ownership of the phone, e.g, by selling it, then Samsung will reactivate the phone for a new customer for a fee of USD100.

Samsung believe this innovative program further strengthens its position as the world's leading mobile device provider. Further exciting enhancements are planned for the 2016 period. These include equipping customers with mandatory RFID implant chips to ensure that their phone only functions in their immediate presence, and cannot be lent to any third party. Samsung will implant the chip at the point of sale, using a (relatively) painless injector. The customer may choose which part of their anatomy (e.g buttocks) in which they will receive the implant. An optional Samsung tattooing service is available, at extra cost, in a wide range of colours, including gold and silver.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] s2kdriver80:
To reiterate, for those who immediately root the phone like myself (and delete the entries from the blacklist file), this whole fiasco seems to be nearly a non-issue. Am I right in saying that this mainly affects people who don't want to root or those who want to keep the warranty intact?
[Galaxy Note 3 General] rahularora1:
I'm not rooted,100% stock. No sim lock issues with me
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Netskyliner:
Csc N9005BOGBMI3 full unlocked no sticker Tunisian sim working on it

Envoyé depuis mon SM-N9005 avec Tapatalk
[Galaxy Note 3 General] BullHorn7:
Is rooting really confirmed for solving the region-lock?

Sent via Mobile
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Superdad_98:
If you are an existing T Mo customer there is no waiting period, they will give you the sim unlock right away, I have been with them for 7 years and on the day I receive a new phone I call and request the code usually they will e-mail it or send it via sms with in 48 hours
[Galaxy Note 3 General] bp328i:
I've been with them for about 4 months now. But after reading their policy on unlock codes http://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-1588 the phone has to be active for 40 days and paid in full. Neither of these will be done before I leave the country for 3 weeks.

I'm not trying to screw them on the phone but I would like to be able to use it on my trip.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] thebigbea:
so is both n9000 and n9005 affected by the sim restriction?? planning to buy one this week in Canada... to use in asia as well..
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Compass Linux:
Sammy, I am dissapoint.

I was considering buying a Samsung Galaxy S4 after X-Mas, perhaps around January of 2014, but maybe that's not happening anymore if this situation isn't fixed.

I've never owned a Samsung mobile phone and reading the horror stories I don't think I'll be going Sammy's way anytime soon.

Samsung is one of the few (only?) major manufacturers making mobile phones with removable batteries and memory. I seriously didn't want to compromise on those two things, but it seems I won't have much choice if I turn to LG or Motorola, for example.

I think it remains to be seen if the Russian unlock codes will still work after Samsung sends OTA upgrades to people who have managed to unlock their devices. Oh, jamming S3's for example with an OTA KitKat upgrade is kinda cowardly, especially if you don't warn the users beforehand.

There likely will be lawsuits going Sammy's way, so they better get ready or fix.

Compass Linux.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] dxzh:
Different MCC blocked lists + how to find list

Just noticed that even though we do not we have the MCC list for OXXBMI14 mentioned above, DjeMBeY posted at http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=45939308&postcount=162 the MCC block list for CSC_OXX_N9005OXXBMH1 which is the August 2013 version 1 of that CSC file. I include N9005OXXBMH1 in full below with countries listed beside each MCC. From it we can see that:

- there are at least two very different European region MCC blocklists (one with 38 and the other with 63 countries (see http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=46018692&postcount=584) though they are laid out in roughly similar regions it seems). This differing number of MCCs and the potential difference between earlier and later versions might in part explain discrepancies being reported, but not taking too much for granted.

- Thailand's MCC is not blocked in the earlier version (OXXBMH1) of the CSC mentioned above - there are still a number of possibilities for why the later CSC file was able to be used in Thailand (including its earlier unlock and/or Thailand not being on the MCC block list (if it was never added added to later September version)).

Blocked MCCs in CSC_OXX_N9005OXXBMH1 are as follows:

460 China

250 Russia

255 Ukraine

502 Malaysia

510 Indonesia

401 Kazakhstan

525 Singapore

452 Vietnam

505 Australia

515 Philippines

470 Bangladesh

404 India

405 India

603 Algeria

602 Egypt

432 Iran

604 Morocco

416 Jordan

424 United Arab Emirates

425 Israel

724 Brazil

370 Dominican Republic

338 Jamaica

374 Trinidad and Tobago

706 El Salvador

734 Venezuela

714 Panama

712 Costa Rica

740 Ecuador

704 Guatemala

708 Honduras

710 Nicaragua

744 Paraguay

748 Uraguay

736 Bolivia

621 Nigeria

620 Ghana

639 Kenya

Finally I understand the way to check your MCC blocked list is:

- to look in a folder on your phone with file path /system/csc/customer.xml - at least that works on my SGS3 and tallies with robster23's post at http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=45931844&postcount=91.

- to read this customer.xml file I am using the "ES file explorer" app which works really well and is super easy - not sure whether will work on Note 3 but perhaps you could try exploring it (or similar app) out. We may then get a better picture of the MCC blocks to be found in different European region Note 3 CSC files.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] uvaman:
If you want from S4 removable battery and memory then this problem isn't affecting you at all... But if you want root, roms etc that's the different story then. As for unlock this thing is over and we know now how to deal with it..
[Galaxy Note 3 General] dxzh:
Happy that is working for you. None of the European region MCC block lists seen here to date (only 2 so not very scientific!) appear to have blocked Tunisia (MCC 605). This could of course be different for your CSC (and/or Samsung could subsequently amend the CSC) but it might provide one explanation to date as to why a SIM issued by a Tunisian operator might work for your Note 3.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] mathieulh:
Rooting your phone disables knox permanently.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] dxzh:
Corporate communication (if any) with customers

Here is an example of helpful Samsung Technical Support in US - http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=46079575&postcount=47. However it also suggests that Samsung Global still might not have worked out what its left and right hand are doing. Else it is operating a corporate policy full of ever so subtle differences and exceptions to the rule.

It would be good if the leadership of Samsung Global Electronics could actually work out what its regional lock policy was and communicate it clearly and consistently worldwide to its customers and its staff. Another example of the effect of Samsung's unwillingness to communicate clearly with its customers is the reseller Clove appears to have to be sending "a few activated models out to contacts in restricted territories to test" and adds "Come back in a few days and we will have a confirmed result" - see comments at http://blog.clove.co.uk/2013/09/25/samsung-galaxy-note-3-sim-limitations. All this because of the absence of any official corporate communication from Samsung itself which refuses to answer or hold itself accountable for the confusion arising from its own corporate policy it seems.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] sharl1987:
This has been said a million times already, US network are not among the blocked networks in the european version. So OF COURSE it will work.
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Onepagebook:
BUT, no data network..
[Galaxy Note 3 General] BullHorn7:
Samsung is trolling us hard bros. You'd expect an official statement after so long but they just let the fire burn.

Sent via Mobile
[Galaxy Note 3 General] coolfreebies:
The blocked MCC on my UK phone:

63

460BB

454BB

250BB

255BB

401BB

259BB

437BB

438BB

436BB

428BB

400BB

282BB

283BB

525BB

452BB

505BB

520BB

515BB

502BB

510BB

456BB

414BB

457BB

404BB

405BB

470BB

413BB

429BB

603BB

602BB

432BB

425BB

604BB

424BB

606BB

420BB

418BB

286BB

724BB

370BB

338BB

706BB

734BB

714BB

712BB

740BB

704BB

708BB

710BB

744BB

736BB

732BB

722BB

730BB

716BB

621BB

620BB

639BB

257BB

Does anyone know what countries they are for.

Thank you

coolfreebies
[Galaxy Note 3 General] maidangisme:
Wow that is long F**k Block List.

MCC country code:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_country_code
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Netskyliner:
I saw MCC block list befire buying :) Now rooted so no hasardous update

Envoyé depuis mon SM-N9005 avec Tapatalk
[Galaxy Note 3 General] Superdad_98:
I will just call and ask for it, they might just send it to u