Australian Galaxy phone users got a New Year's update gift they didn't want

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Samsung found itself in hot water after a recent firmware update reportedly broke thousands of Galaxy smartphones for customers in Australia. The company is investigating the issue and has advised users to avoid updating their phones for the time being. However, affected users have no other option but to factory reset their phones, and countless customers, many of which say they don't have backups of their photos and contacts, are unhappy with the outcome.

It's unclear which Galaxy smartphone models are affected or which firmware version caused the issue. But thousands of customers say their phones show a blank, unresponsive screen after the recent update. Fortunately for users in other markets, Samsung says the problem affects only users in South Australia (via Daily Mail). The company is investigating the issue and urges affected users to visit a repair center.

These affected Galaxy phones are not entirely “bricked” and can be recovered through a factory reset, but the solution is not ideal. Countless customers who haven't backed up their photos and contacts are losing personal information. The problem is likely aggravated because Samsung Cloud Gallery sync shut down in 2021. Many Galaxy device users haven't switched to OneDrive or other Gallery backup methods. Recovering their soft-locked phones through a factory reset means that they'll lose their precious photos.

Although the issue appears to be limited to South Australia, this is not a good look for Samsung, especially when the company is on the verge of releasing a new flagship phone series next month. And to be fair, Samsung's firmware rollout has been nearly flawless lately. Sadly, these Australians appear to have gotten the short end of the stick.

Mihai Matei - Senior Editor

[email protected]

First Samsung device: SGH-A800

Mihai is a blogger and column writer at SamMobile. His first Samsung phone was an A800 which took a lot of beating, and a part of him still misses the novelty of the clamshell design. In his free time, he enjoys watching shows, documentaries, and stand-up comedy; listening to music, taking walks, and occasionally playing old(er) video games.

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Australian Galaxy phone users got a New Year's update gift they didn't want

Mihai Matei - Senior Editor

[email protected]

First Samsung device: SGH-A800

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