Samsung Region Lock Could Extend To Older Devices With Android 4.4

Late last month we reported on the possibility of Galaxy Note 3 being region locked. What this means basically is that a region locked Galaxy Note 3 will only be good for SIMs issued by carriers working in that particular region. For example, if someone buys a Note 3 locked to the Americas region, they won’t be able to use a SIM card from another manufacturer in another country, they’ll have to rely on roaming provided by their carrier back home.

A Galaxy Note 3 user contacted a Samsung rep regarding this region locked and asked for an explanation, it was provided to them by the representative. Apparently the rep let something slip about Samsung’s future plans, which presumably includes rolling out region locking for older devices such as Galaxy S3 and Note 2 through Android 4.4 update. So even if the device has been activated in that particular region with a supported SIM card, customers won’t be able to use the device on any other carrier says the rep, which is going to be a nuisance for those who travel a lot and usually use local SIMs in every different country. One can 0nly fathom the number of users that will be locked out of their devices once this update hits. Google is expected to announce Android 4.4 KitKat later this month, no word on its release date just yet.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Android 4.4, Samsung