Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Release Date: European And American Variant Region Locked, Not Good For Travelers

In case you are looking for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 release date, you better check your local retailers as it just hit the stores yesterday. However, most people do not know that the new device would be region locked, at least in North and South America and Europe. 

What does this mean? It means people getting the device in the UK for instance, would not be able to use a local sim card once they bring the device in the US. So if you're going to get the Galaxy Note 3, you better make sure you would not leave the country or you'd surely be stuck to roaming services. 

To warn their customers, UK retailers Clove and Handtec already released a statement on their respective websites:

This product is only compatible with a SIM-card issued from a mobile operator within UK/Europe (as defined EU/EEA, Switzerland and the following Non-EEA countries Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (F.Y.R.O.M), Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino, Serbia and Vatican City.) 

Here are some package labels for Galaxy Note 3 phones in the Americas and Europe as posted by Android Authority:

However, in a follow-up report, Samsung Germany pointed out that consumers would still be able to unlock their phones by simpy activating their Note 3 phones within the country or region where it is supposed to be locked. Once it has been turned on and activated, the owner can now bring the phone overseas and insert a sim card from another region. 

In light to this, the region lock may be Samsung's move to stop retailers who buy their devices from a particular country, and sell them to buyers in another, thus making profit due to differences in currency and tariff fees.