Foreign SIMs don't play well on North American variants, you know. Allow us to explain why. As you know, the technology has evolved over the years, and there are third-party tools out there like Samkey that have compromised the integrity of region locking in the intent because often, when those people import devices, what do they get? They use such tools to bypass those regional restrictions instead of making five-minute calls to remove them properly. We feel it isn't fair that those bad actors have access to those tools and typical users like us do not. Therefore, Samsung appears to have removed foreign SIM support, but with a few exceptions. Here are some changes.
QR CODES (3rd SCREENSHOT)
You can no longer enter an activation code to activate an eSIM. If that QR Code prompts you to enter one, it will throw an error instead.
CANADIAN USERS WELCOME (4th SCREENSHOT)
In the past, US variants released in 2023 couldn't use SIMs from Canada. Samsung seems to have revised its approach this year and will allow SIMs from Canada to be activated, including carriers like Telus, Rogers, and Bell.
(Note that cellular tablets in Canada use U or U1 instead of W. This is because they previously used UE in their firmware, the same variant for US unlocked variants.)
PRIMARY SIMS
You can only set one primary SIM for all three functions (calls, texts, and mobile data). If you use a travel SIM that doesn't support all three functions, it will not work correctly. For example, you could miss out on calls or texts or be unable to use data from a non-primary SIM.
We'll see what happens with One UI 6.1 if Samsung is reconsidering the use of foreign eSIMs outside of the USA, Puerto Rico, and Canada.
QR CODES (3rd SCREENSHOT)
You can no longer enter an activation code to activate an eSIM. If that QR Code prompts you to enter one, it will throw an error instead.
CANADIAN USERS WELCOME (4th SCREENSHOT)
In the past, US variants released in 2023 couldn't use SIMs from Canada. Samsung seems to have revised its approach this year and will allow SIMs from Canada to be activated, including carriers like Telus, Rogers, and Bell.
(Note that cellular tablets in Canada use U or U1 instead of W. This is because they previously used UE in their firmware, the same variant for US unlocked variants.)
PRIMARY SIMS
You can only set one primary SIM for all three functions (calls, texts, and mobile data). If you use a travel SIM that doesn't support all three functions, it will not work correctly. For example, you could miss out on calls or texts or be unable to use data from a non-primary SIM.
We'll see what happens with One UI 6.1 if Samsung is reconsidering the use of foreign eSIMs outside of the USA, Puerto Rico, and Canada.
We updated to One UI 6.1 last night and noticed the following:
TRANSFER SIM FROM ANOTHER DEVICE (FIRST 2 SCREENSHOTS)
Detailed instructions have appeared on what device types are allowed. Cross-platform eSIM transfers are no longer supported on North American variants. Going forward, eSIM transfers must be conducted between Samsung devices.
SCAN QR CODE (3rd SCREENSHOT)
No changes here. Your device bought for the North American market (U/U1/W) can only use SIMs from the United States, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Canada. Activation code entries are no longer supported.
SEARCH FOR ESIMS
The procedure has changed slightly. When you tap Add eSIM, it goes to the Choose How to Add Your eSIM screen first. The carrier list appears AFTER tapping the Search for eSIMs button. Also, note that the Other Ways to Connect to a Mobile Network option has been removed. However, this does NOT mean you are limited to those eight carriers listed. US/PR/USVI carriers not on this list, such as Spectrum Mobile, Google Fi, Consumer Cellular, Mint Mobile, and Visible, will still work.
SELECT YOUR SERVICE PROVIDER (4th SCREENSHOT)
The carrier list depends on the market that the device is made for. For example, if you're using a Canadian variant, carriers like Bell, Rogers, and Telus will appear. In your case with a phone bought from Europe (EUX), carriers like Orange, O2, and Vodafone will appear.
SUGGESTIONS
I want Samsung to revise its approach and put the carrier list first when adding eSIMs. Tapping any carrier will bring the user to the Choose How to Add Your eSIM screen.
(If this happens, users can scan the QR code from the selected carrier, provided that no existing eSIMs are found. They can also download their mobile plan directly or transfer one from an existing device.)
TRANSFER SIM FROM ANOTHER DEVICE (FIRST 2 SCREENSHOTS)
Detailed instructions have appeared on what device types are allowed. Cross-platform eSIM transfers are no longer supported on North American variants. Going forward, eSIM transfers must be conducted between Samsung devices.
SCAN QR CODE (3rd SCREENSHOT)
No changes here. Your device bought for the North American market (U/U1/W) can only use SIMs from the United States, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Canada. Activation code entries are no longer supported.
SEARCH FOR ESIMS
The procedure has changed slightly. When you tap Add eSIM, it goes to the Choose How to Add Your eSIM screen first. The carrier list appears AFTER tapping the Search for eSIMs button. Also, note that the Other Ways to Connect to a Mobile Network option has been removed. However, this does NOT mean you are limited to those eight carriers listed. US/PR/USVI carriers not on this list, such as Spectrum Mobile, Google Fi, Consumer Cellular, Mint Mobile, and Visible, will still work.
SELECT YOUR SERVICE PROVIDER (4th SCREENSHOT)
The carrier list depends on the market that the device is made for. For example, if you're using a Canadian variant, carriers like Bell, Rogers, and Telus will appear. In your case with a phone bought from Europe (EUX), carriers like Orange, O2, and Vodafone will appear.
SUGGESTIONS
I want Samsung to revise its approach and put the carrier list first when adding eSIMs. Tapping any carrier will bring the user to the Choose How to Add Your eSIM screen.
(If this happens, users can scan the QR code from the selected carrier, provided that no existing eSIMs are found. They can also download their mobile plan directly or transfer one from an existing device.)
Correction! It seems like some primary carriers do allow foreign eSIMs to be used. As always, roaming is always available.
• T-Mobile: USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Austria, Kuwait, and other carriers in Europe and MEA
• AT&T & Verizon: USA, Canada, and Puerto Rico
• Other carriers: Unknown
We reached out to Verizon and AT&T, and they do not accept activation code entries for adding eSIMs. Therefore, if you're using one of those two carriers, you won't be able to use foreign eSIMs except for those in North America (US/Canada) and Puerto Rico.
• T-Mobile: USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Austria, Kuwait, and other carriers in Europe and MEA
• AT&T & Verizon: USA, Canada, and Puerto Rico
• Other carriers: Unknown
We reached out to Verizon and AT&T, and they do not accept activation code entries for adding eSIMs. Therefore, if you're using one of those two carriers, you won't be able to use foreign eSIMs except for those in North America (US/Canada) and Puerto Rico.
