A few hours ago we learned that Samsung intends to end the universality of your mobile devices from now on, putting obstacles in the way of using them in a different continent from the one we have acquired them. This may represent a clear setback in the globalization process in which most companies are immersed, seriously harming users.
We do not know very well why this measure by Samsung is due, apart from controlling the movement of its devices more extensively and not allowing them to be acquired cheaper in other countries where their price is lower. This in itself might even seem reasonable (although in reality this shouldn't get in the way of the company's interests), but they can also be affected. the users who have to travel to another continent and see that they cannot use a card from a telephone company there due to this restriction.
Many times companies believe they are taking steps in the right direction for the company without thinking about the consumer and how their decisions could affect them, I think this is a clear case of it. Hopefully the Koreans realize that this does not benefit the customer long term.
In a market clearly marked by two dominant companies, on the other side of the coin facing Samsung is Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC),. That company that many criticize but that once they try one of its products and realize the great advantages of having one, they never want to change.
This is because Apple looks a lot for its customers, offering services unique, fast and global. One of the things where it is most noticeable is when you have any small problem on the iPhone and they change or fix it in the Apple Store inmediatamente instead of having to send it to the technical service to have it repaired (which means running out of a device for at least a week), which is what happens with the rest of the companies.
Companies tend to forget of customers, when they are the ones who 'feed' them.
More information - Samsung prepares a gold Galaxy S4… Coincidence?
I have to tell you that this supposed universality has to be grasped with tweezers, and some very fine. There are several models of iPhone and iPad that have different coverage for different networks, gsm, 4G ... Here are the models taken from the Apple page. So that anyone who buys an iPhone in the US who does not think that it sucks, we must be very careful if we do not want an iPod touch of $ 600 (or more). Greetings ;).
Model A1533 (GSM) *: UMTS / HSPA + / DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM / EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25)
Model A1533 (CDMA) *: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS / HSPA + / DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM / EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25)
Model A1453 *: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS / HSPA + / DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM / EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26)
Model A1457 *: UMTS / HSPA + / DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM / EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20)
Model A1530 *: UMTS / HSPA + / DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM / EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20); TD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40)
An iPhone 5S bought in Germany would be compatible with the networks of Spain, I mean 3G and 4g. Thanks for answering if anyone knows
The 5s is completely global, you can use it wherever you want as its guarantee is valid in any apple store. And safer if possible, if it is bought in Germany. You will not have any problem. On the other hand, the previous iPhones do not.
Thank you very much for clarifying the doubt
This restriction is only at the time of activation, once activated it can be used in any region, with any card. We do buy a Note 3 in the United States, we have to activate it there, once that is done, we can travel wherever we want and use whatever card. What is avoided I suppose is the traffic through ebay and other sites, if you want to buy it abroad, they have to open it there and send it to you, of course, once opened it may not have the same price ...
Come on, I don't think we should be alarmed.
HAHAHA!! okay, if they use that for a couple of days to see that everything is going well and then they send it to you …… XD !! What to do. No, no, there is no need to be alarmed, we are all looking forward to buying a new mobile and for the Korean that you paid to release it for us .. It is a very smart option, I wonder how they have not done it before!
I mean, do not be alarmed why it comes with the region lock, because it is something that is removed as soon as you put the sim where it is bought. It is that in some places they are putting them as if we are going… .. If it were a regional blockade, I would understand the commotion forever.
The problem comes for those who want to buy it abroad and have it sent to them, there and whoever wants to be alarmed, I buy them in Spain.
In that article I do not take away the reason because it is true when I changed from PC to Mac I realized that not only their products have a fine finish you well done but the customer service is brutal.
That you do not find out !. It is only for the activation of the mobile, if it is purchased in Europe it has to be activated in Europe but then it can be used anywhere in the world, it is a fairly smart strategy to avoid smuggling or at least control it more. How do you like to rant both one and the other?
Well you have not commented well at all, what I have read elsewhere is that you will have to activate it in the country of origin but after that if you can use it anywhere and that is with the galaxy note 3
Samsung has made 2 bad decisions this month that violate the freedom of its customers and make me quite uneasy:
1 - In the last update of the galaxy s4 a boot that is indowngradeable has been included, something like apple firmwares, you can only change to superior official software updates, not being able to go back if we do not like one.
2- It has begun to limit the use of free terminals internationally, as the news indicates.
I think this is bad for customers and may be due to their current dominant position, but they must not forget that we are the ones who buy their products and we can decide to stop doing it, if they rob us of freedom of decision or use. I hope they do not continue down that path ...
What happened?
I do not agree with you, releasing a mobile phone is a right, I buy an iPhone in China and I send it sealed and you can use it in Spain if you release it, an iPhone can be released on this same website.
The iPhone 5 or 4S bought in the USA works in Spain, and when it is released it is activated in Spain. None have had a region lock. The comparison of the software release is absurd, the software release is illegal, what was missing is that you can use an illegal release to activate the iPhone…. If you release it legally you can activate it with any sim in the world.
The iPhone is a global phone even if we talk about the iPhone 5, which not having all the bands works in the whole world except 4G, but it works in the rest of the networks.
If they send you a sealed used Samsung you're screwed. If that's good in any way ...
I haven't seen any of your publications for a long time, you have signed new editors. I thought you were no longer around and it was your publications that used to interest me the most.
If you buy an iPhone (4 or lower) CDMA in the USA you can send it sealed, unsealed, activated, hacktivated or not activated, which will not be compatible with the networks in Spain, that is what I meant. Calling "global" a 600+ phone that could not be used to surf the Internet comfortably, or send 4 photos by WhatsApp (the gsm network is very slow), leaves much to be desired, when any Chinese of 60 euros can do it without no problem.
And well, we all know that liberation is a right, but here in Spain it is not applied as it should. Leave the company and you will see how they do not release it. And even when you are in the company, when they do, some will charge you for it, even having paid for the phone (this is signed in the contract).
Software release is NOT illegal, at least not yet.
You could document yourself on that and make a post, which would be very interesting, since many users are wrong with what is legal / illegal regarding Apple products and EULAs.
In the EU you own what you buy, and if you buy software or hardware you can do whatever you want with it (less piracy of course), in case of not complying with the EULA the only thing that happens is that the manufacturer does not support you .
Not in the USA, you have to refer to the EULA, and what violates said contract is considered illegal.
In fact, Apple tried to ban jailbreak by law, and the proposal was rejected. Sure you have the news out there.
In Spain what is going to be prohibited is the modification of electronic devices (chips, jailbreaks, roots, etc.) commercially.
Now, you should know that I have never said that the regional blockade is good for anyone. In fact it is not, although, for now, it will only happen with the new Note III.
Finally, I am not a defender of anything, no company pays me. I have had my house full of apple products for a long time, and I have some products from other companies as well that I have seen that adapt better to my needs than those that apple offered me.
But I see that this is being filled with people who only come in to release bile from everything that does not have a bitten apple, comments with insults and spelling mistakes, and many people who have crossed the pond and seem not to adapt well to education and respect for his new country.
I'm glad you're still here Gonzalo.
Yes, I take care of the coordination of the rest of the editors and I also write, but less.
I answer what you said, if you buy an iPhone 4 in the USA (which you can no longer do because it is not for sale) it is evident that you must buy the GSM model because CDMA does not have a SIM tray, instead the 4S from USA works in Spain even though it is CDMA.
When I say that software release is illegal, what I mean is that it is illegal in the United States, and therefore hackers are not going to put any interest in doing anything that is illegal. Musclenerd and Sherif Hassim have already said that they will NEVER release a software release again, and with the exception of SAM all releases have been their doing.
Therefore, there will be no software release in the future, there is only the release by IMEI that your company must do if you have finished the stay and if not, you just have to put "release iPhone by IMEI" in google and you can buy all releases of the world.
I don't get paid to defend Apple either, I just like it.
In the comments you can find hundreds of people criticizing Apple and praising Android and hundreds of others who worship the apple as a religion. Better spelling or worse everyone has the right to express themselves as long as they are not disrespectful. You read the comments that interest you, but I have to read all of them and moderate the remaining ones, so imagine if it gets tired sometimes ...
I have specifically proposed this post, and I propose it to say that Samsung has taken a step back like a house, when all companies are struggling to internationalize they are closed.
If there is a "phone smuggling" problem, you have to find a solution, but I think this is a step backwards.
I think you have already commented on it but one of the reasons for the regional SIM blockade is due to a protection system against illegal traffic of the terminals since once the terminal is activated with a card from the same region, it allows you to put one of any other.