[ihatemarmite]

My mate has an S5, and he wants a Note 4 for his work. They are sold sim-free with a sticker saying they only work with a UK or EU SIM.

Samsung's press release that I've seen online suggests that the way it works is that you have to first activate the phone/SIM while in the UK and EU, and that thereafter you would be able to swap the SIM for a foreign one while abroad with no problem. He travels once a year to South Africa for a month and as roaming charges from there are v high, swaps out the SIM to a SA one. He hasn't done this since owning the S5 (worked fine on his old iPhone 4S)

However some users/reviewers online say they have corrected activated their SIM when in the UK and used the phone, but it won't work with foreign SIMs. The SIMs mentioned as not working were in Thailand and China.
He will have to buy a different phone if it wouldn't take a foreign SIM. I said I'd ask on here. cheers