Xiaomi: blocked smartphones from banned markets work again

 Late last week, reports surfaced online that Xiaomi started blocking "gray" smartphones in some countries. Now the problem seems to have been solved.

What happened?

They started blocking devices only in certain markets where the Chinese manufacturer's equipment is not sold officially. These are Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Sudan and Crimea. Although you can't buy Xiaomi gadgets here, many people buy them in other countries and bring them for use in banned countries. But users started getting the following message when trying to activate: "Xiaomi policy does not allow the product to be sold in the territory where you tried to activate it. For more information, please contact the seller directly".

What now?

Now same Xiaomi spokesperson said that all locked smartphones must unlock. This is how the company was fighting smugglers who bring its phones to banned markets and resell them. Apparently, for those who brought the gadget for their own use, the manufacturer has no claim.

"The investigation has achieved significant results, and the affected devices can now be unlocked", - confirmed a Xiaomi spokesperson.

Source: Android Authority