What is Samsung thinking?

[gtcway]

For those of you who keep up on the latest tech news, you probably saw that Samsung is "region locking" new Note 3's, S4's and S3's. I think everyone is still a little confused about exactly what it means, but seems like even if you buy a full retail, unlocked phone, you can only use it with a sim card from the country originally sold to.
I'm sure the users who travel to different countries regularly are a small minority, but I travel to the US 2-3 times a year for 1-2 weeks at a time. I have a T-Mobile prepaid sim I pop in my phone and get unlimited calls plus data for about $3 a day vs. about $4 a minute roaming.

I've been an android and Samsung supporter but after this, I won't be upgrading to a S4 or Note 3 like I was planning.

Hope this isn't a trend with all phone manufacturers.

[Krgrecw]

Seems to me if you own it you should be able to use it outside of the country as long as it feasible to do so. Would Samsung take the region lock off if a solider that had the phone was deployed?

[The Chosen One]

I'm sure there'll be huge fuss about it, and Samsung will cave in, as many corporations who receive money from loyal people do.

[zitothebrave]

For those of you who keep up on the latest tech news, you probably saw that Samsung is "region locking" new Note 3's, S4's and S3's. I think everyone is still a little confused about exactly what it means, but seems like even if you buy a full retail, unlocked phone, you can only use it with a sim card from the country originally sold to.
I'm sure the users who travel to different countries regularly are a small minority, but I travel to the US 2-3 times a year for 1-2 weeks at a time. I have a T-Mobile prepaid sim I pop in my phone and get unlimited calls plus data for about $3 a day vs. about $4 a minute roaming.

I've been an android and Samsung supporter but after this, I won't be upgrading to a S4 or Note 3 like I was planning.

Hope this isn't a trend with all phone manufacturers.

That's a bad idea. Doesn't effect me personally and probably won't effect 99% of their consumers but it's a bad policy to start. Usually these policies are pushed by the carriers, my guess is that the big guys want roaming and Samsung is complying in hopes of priority placement and sales (for those not in the know, Verizon dictates what gets prime real estate in their store which can effect sales. Not to mention other things.

I'm still leaning Moto X for my next phone. But I still will consider the Note. I'm hacking any phone I get. I'm sick and tired of Verizon's piss poor software update schedule.

[zitothebrave]

Seems to me if you own it you should be able to use it outside of the country as long as it feasible to do so. Would Samsung take the region lock off if a solider that had the phone was deployed?

The idea of region locking would let them use their phones internationally on roaming. Which I believe is what happens or they get burners over there.

I'm sure there will be exceptions made as well. Or the option to purchase a non-region locked phone. But it's not a good policy but you can bet this isn't an idea Samsung concocted on their own. The big boys in wireless want this and they're using a big boy as soak test.

[Krgrecw]

Not to get into a debate but if the carriers were behind this for roaming fees they wouldn't even try to get the other company to play along. That's why i don't think the carriers are truly behind this.

Samsung wouldn't say 'yes' to this knowing that Apple would tell the carriers to **** off. Samsung would lose everything

[The Chosen One]

Samsung has about 20 different other departments that bring in revenue... cell phones aren't their cash cow.

Apple on the other hand, mobile does a great deal of business for them.

[zitothebrave]

Not to get into a debate but if the carriers were behind this for roaming fees they wouldn't even try to get the other company to play along. That's why i don't think the carriers are truly behind this.

Samsung wouldn't say 'yes' to this knowing that Apple would tell the carriers to **** off. Samsung would lose everything

Samsung doesn't care about apple, the marginal percentage they take or lose from them is just that. They're fighting to keep control of their Android dominance. Now that LG, HTC and Motorola are fighting Samsung, they need to make as man deals as possible.

[zitothebrave]

BTW, updated info makes this policy less dumb though still a slight headscratcher

The phone has to be activated in that region. Aka an America S4 has to be activated in the Americas then after that you can use a European sim while over there. My guess is they're trying to stop people from buying international versions of their device. For example the Asian S4 has a different processor than the American. Not sure the motivation, but better than the original scare.

[gtcway]

BTW, updated info makes this policy less dumb though still a slight headscratcher

The phone has to be activated in that region. Aka an America S4 has to be activated in the Americas then after that you can use a European sim while over there. My guess is they're trying to stop people from buying international versions of their device. For example the Asian S4 has a different processor than the American. Not sure the motivation, but better than the original scare.

Guess that makes a little sense. Wonder if that was the plan all along or if they changed it after all the negative publicity about it?

[Krgrecw]

That was the plan all along. People were posting 'you just have to activate in your home country than you can use elsewhere' on some technology blog the night this thread was created.

[zitothebrave]

Guess that makes a little sense. Wonder if that was the plan all along or if they changed it after all the negative publicity about it?

It was the plan all along, just some bad labeling that Samsung took too long to clarify. As krg said some were talking about it soon after the story broke, the official word came out I believe on Saturday.

[ESP47]

Wow you guys are nerds. 3 of the top 4 threads on this forum are about cell phones. Who gives a ****? Normally Giles would be here to tell you guys you should be worrying about pussy instead of cell phones but even he's a cell phone geek himself.

Sometimes I feel so alone.