"Update" Remorse

[RockDoc]

New to Android coming from a decade with Apple - definitely no remorse there. It's all better - Flexibility, customization, every time where I used to think "man, I should be able to do that..." I now can! 

The only huge drawback I've encountered out of the box is not the Android ecosystem, but Samsung, and the region limitations of the Galaxy Store. I'm Canadian and travel for 75% of the year, mostly in Kazakhstan, where mobile rates are DIRT cheap (phone, text and 20Gb for $8/mo) - so I'm obviously on a Kazakh SIM most of the year. However, my LIFE is that of a Canadian - financial and credit cards, email, wife and kids in Canada, don't speak Russian and I keep a Telus SIM and number active. I own a North American version Note10+, Buds and Active 2 watch purchased in Canada, Samsung account is Canadian. After months of research, I bought the Note10+ mainly for dual SIM, not knowing the NA version didn't have that key capability - rediculous, got over that regret, but unlike the Apple Store, region for the Galaxy Store is on the SIM rather than being set by EVERYTHING else that matters. 

My initial workaround overcame this single critical issue - clear the Store cache, pop the Canadian SIM in and open the Store to set it properly - English marketing, English app descriptions and review, and CRITICALLY, Canadian dollar pricing. I then put the local SIM back in and I was all set. However, with the new OS update to 10...when I swap the SIMs, it now automatically clears the store cache and demands a reboot!!! I'm stuck with a Galaxy Store I can't use or read - and pricing is in Kazakhstani Tenge (which is charged to my credit card in UK£ anyway, incurring foreign exchange charges on my Canadian CC). 

This functionality is detrimental to the whole concept of Android being the "better" environment - I don't feel in control of an absolutely basic option on my phone (language!!!), it's not "more flexible" (no option to pick my store region preference), AND it impacts me financially! 

Anyone have any suggestions or workarounds? I'm sending daily feedback, but I know it's probably $ related and Samsung won't change...no different than Apple on that point...

[CHMultimedia]

Unfortunately I don't see any workaround for this problem. Android's not particularly good at user experience to be honest. It gets worse with the CSC and all those regional things.

[RockDoc]

Do any dual SIM users out there know how it works??? I don't understand why it now asks for a reset with a SIM swap...surely a phone with 2 SIMs inserted doesn't restart constantly! And how is the store region set with 2 SIMs? Maybe not getting dual SIM model as I was expecting is a much bigger deal for me than anticipated...

[Tallman]

I always want to have dual SIM in Canada for my Galaxy Note. Unluckily, only happen in Korea...

[CHMultimedia]

South America and China/HK has Snapdragon dual-SIMs too.

[RockDoc]

yeah - it's such a con - North American providers don't want a customer to be able to have more than one relationship...and the device makers comply with those demands.

From what I've read and seen here k
in Kazakhstan, the dual SIMs use Exynos, which is like a 2-year old version of Snapdragon, so I was waiting until I was back in Canada to buy it based on that (AND $400 cheaper on Microsoft store boxing day sales)...but it wasn't until I was literally swiping my card at the till saying "Can't wait to use this dual SIM phone" when the store rep says "...umm this isn't dual SIM...you won't find dual SIM in North America". Thought I'd done my research, guess not enough...

I now know China is the only place with a dual SIM Snapdragon - rest of Asia and Europe all have Exynos when it's Dual SIM...and lack of eSIM ability is BS...

[CHMultimedia]

South America too.

Next time, search for the models that end with a 0. Like, your Note10+ is SM-N975W, and the Dual SIM Snapdragon is the SM-N9750.

Really socks a lot to not being able to have Dual-SIM models here though. A lot.

--

If you want you could still rollback to Android 9. But you won't get security updates.

[RockDoc]

thanks! In this case the deal was too good...I know the 5G isn't real 5G, but I'll be 2 more phone upgrades down the road before that's a reality anyway - just didn't realize what I was giving up by eventually accepting single SIM! Considering doing the downgrade...

[OlytheGoalie]

I believe Telus just started offering the ESim...would you be able to use the ESim and keep the Kazakh sim in the phone then you wouldnt have to reset each time?

[RockDoc]

unfortunately only on an iPhone (and maybe Pixel)! the Galaxy fold is the only Samsung that has the hardware chip for an eSIM. Samsung, with a Sony-like approach to things, wouldn't put the esim chip in their devices because they wanted a certain type of standardization used globally...and the world wasn't choosing the particular standard Samsung wanted...so they've waited. In the meantime, other companies have gone ahead with the current standards for eSIM. Rumor the S20 will have esim, but doesn't help my Note10+!