Samsung locking all new Galaxy smartphones to regions

It looks like all new (Galaxy SII, Galaxy SIII, Galaxy S4, Galaxy S4 Mini and Note 3) devices produced after the end of July will be SIM-locked to the region in which they are sold.

All the new Galaxy Note 3 handsets are now shipped with a sticker on the box saying that the devices are now geographically SIM-locked.

Samsung Germany issued a statement that confirms the region SIM lock. Full statement below (Google translated):

SIM card usage in current Samsung products

Some current Samsung products are now provided with a local SIM card lock. This means that devices purchased in the European Union, with SIM cards of mobile operators from Germany and from the European Union and the European Economic Area (the "European region") work as usual.

Users of these Samsung devices can continue to use these together with their SIM card of a mobile operator from the European region via roaming service to appropriate roaming charges to their wireless service provider around the world. If purchased in the European Union and not yet been put into use to be activated for the first time abroad, users can unlock their device for the region free from local Samsung service partners.

The regional SIM card lock only affects the following Samsung models that are produced from the end of July 2013, and provided with a corresponding sticker:

•  Samsung GALAXY S III, GALAXY Note II, GALAXY S4, GALAXY S4 mini and GALAXY Note 3.

Devices that have been delivered by Samsung and are in camps or even at retail are not affected.
 

Specifically, there is a functionality of the devices with SIM cards of mobile operators from the following countries:

• Countries of the European Economic Area (EEA):

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands , Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK, Switzerland, Croatia

• Non-EU/EEA:

Albania, Andorra, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino, Serbia, Vatican City

Not a smart move by Samsung! What do you say about this decision?