Good afternoon, dear respective Samsung Community members!
I would like to inquire about very important topic of Samsung Region SIM lock problem.
As far as I know it’s a special SIM lock mechanism by Samsung to prevent import of unofficial batches of devices which is not designated for specific market.
For example if I would like to purchase the Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro from Germany at Samsung official site and would order it via mail-forwarder service to Kazakhstan. And if I would not ask the mail-forwarder service to open box, insert European Union SIM card and make domestic EU call of 5 minutes, my Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro would not work with Kazakhstan or any other SIM card even despite the fact that device the Samsung Germany department sells are not carrier locked and marked as Unlocked device.
I contacted with Samsung Germany Department and they answered me that even if device is not carrier locked and unlocked device it is mandatory on the first boot to insert EU SIM card and make domestic EU call of 5 minutes. Otherwise if I order that device via mail-forwarder office to Kazakhstan without doing this procedure before, the Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro would not work with Kazakhstan SIM card even if it’s marked as unlocked and not carrier locked.
Is it indeed true, as I remember that in 2015, 2016 the European Samsung Galaxy S6/S7 series had a giant sticker on the box stating that EU SIM card is required. But nowadays the fresh devices like S21/S22 series does not have such stickers on any market. And I researched that some customers who bought these fresh devices and not made such procedure got their devices with regional SIM lock.
Is there are any official Samsung online service which would tell by IMEI would be regional SIM lock procedure invoked?
I done further researches over the internet and found out that Indian, Vietnam intended Samsung Galaxy devices are also require to do such procedure.
It’s very strange as in January 2018 I was in United Arab Emirates, Dubai and come to official Samsung store at Dubai Mall and purchased there brand new, unlocked, not carrier locked Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus. I did not opened the boxes at UAE and opened it at Kazakhstan and inserted Kazakhstan SIM card and devices are working well, even Samsung Pay works fine, devices works fine with no limitations. In January 2019 I also bought Samsung Galaxy Note 9 at official store at UAE, Dubai Mall and again opened the box in Kazakhstan with first insertion of Kazakhstan SIM card, again no any limitations.
Why European Samsung Galaxy devices even if they are unlocked and are not carrier locked are requiring to do preliminary procedure of insertion of EU SIM card and making call of 5 minute to unlock usage of any other SIM cards and why UAE devices are not requiring such procedure? As UAE is a Middle East and Kazakhstan are different market which is Central Asia.
So question I asking is, as United Kingdom is no more in EU, would I be able to order the Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro from UK official site via mail-forwarder to Kazakhstan and make first boot with Kazakhstan SIM card and in Kazakhstan, or the SIM region lock would be invoked?
Another question is, at the official site of Samsung , The United States of America department there is available Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro and again there is exist an option of Unlocked non carrier locked device. It’s written Unlocked by Samsung. If I order it to Kazakhstan via mail-forwarding service and do the first boot in Kazakhstan with Kazakhstan SIM card, would be SIM region lock be invoked? Would other features working as Samsung Pay NFC?
I would be highly grateful for clarification of this important topic!
Thank you in advance for your reply!
Sincerely
With my best regards and wishes!
