Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphones will not be region-locked, the chief operating officer for Samsung Africa, George Ferreira, has told MyBroadband.
This comes after Android Authority reported that Note 3’s sold in Europe and the Americas would only work on networks in those regions.
In a follow-up story based on comment given to AllAboutSamsung.de, Android Authority reported that the Note 3 will not be the only Samsung flagship affected.
Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S4, and Galaxy S4 Mini devices manufactured from August 2013 that ship with the warning sticker on the box are all region locked.
The region locking does not prevent users from switching to an overseas provider when traveling, but does restrict where a device may be activated.
According to the reports, if a user takes an unactivated phone to a country outside its home region, they will have to take it to a local Samsung service partner to have it unlocked (for free).
Ferreira said that this region locking was “just a thought”, but indicated that no such restrictions would apply to devices sold in Africa. He did not provide further details when asked whose thought it was or why the region locks were even thought of.
Vodacom resellers have also confirmed to MyBroadband that the Note 3 devices in their stock rooms do not bear region locking stickers, and the review unit supplied to MyBroadband by Samsung also does not bear a warning label.
Android Authority speculated that it might have something to do with so-called “grey” imports, where devices are bought from one region to be sold in another.
However, it remains to be seen how difficult it is to unlock an American or European Samsung device through one of the company’s local service partners.