Samsung under fire again. Australian customer died due to Galaxy bug

Australia is currently living one of the most serious technology scandals of recent years. TPG Telecom – owner of the Vodafone network – has confirmed that a Sydney user died after his Samsung was unable to make a call to the emergency 000 number, even though the network was working properly. The reason? A software bug in older Galaxy models that prevents automatic switching to another network in a life-threatening situation.

Crisis of Confidence in the System 000 “It shouldn’t happen in 2025.”

For the past few months, Australia’s emergency call system 000 has been under the magnifying glass after a series of crashes and three deaths linked to Optus network problems. Now another vulnerability has been revealed – this time affecting more than 30,000 Samsung smartphones, which can’t always connect to Triple Zero when the main network has a problem and the phone should automatically switch to another carrier.

What has been revealed?

24,000 Samsung users need to update their software immediately.

6,000 more have to replace their phones with new ones – they can’t be fixed with software.

TPG has already announced it will block these devices on its network if users do not respond.

Samsung has officially confirmed that some older models “do not connect properly to the alternative network” during emergency calls. This is not a simple malfunction. It’s a violation of a fundamental feature that every phone must support – a call to an emergency number regardless of the network.

Who was at fault? Samsung? The telecoms? The regulator?

All sides are trying to shift responsibility, but the picture is clear:

Samsung
It was too late to identify the bug, which experts indicate may have existed for years.

TPG / Vodafone
They had knowledge of the problem earlier (Telstra was already doing tests in October) – but communication with customers has only now begun.

ACMA regulator
Criticized for passivity and the assumption that the industry will “regulate itself.”
The result is an unacceptable situation from a public safety perspective, and telecommunications experts are not leaving a dry eye on the industry.

This is not a minor glitch. It’s a gap that, in a critical situation, determines life or death.
– Mark Gregory, telecom market analyst

Consumer organizations are speaking out: blocking incompatible devices should have started a year ago. The government, in turn, announces that the TPG will be summoned before the Senate to explain why action was taken only after the tragedy.

List of models at risk? Still incomplete

Telstra’s tests show that more than 70 Samsung models can incorrectly make emergency calls on Vodafone’s network. These include.

• Galaxy S series (older generations)
• Galaxy A series (some budget models)
• Galaxy J series (older and low-cost smartphones)

The list has not yet been fully disclosed. This means that the problem could be even bigger and affect hundreds of thousands of users.

ACMA is investigating and looking into whether TPG violated emergency call security regulations. Samsung is cooperating with operators, but it is already clear that some devices will be “blacklisted.” Blocking of older models will begin in the coming weeks. Australian Senate plans hearings on critical telecommunications infrastructure.

How is it possible that in 2025 smartphones can’t make an emergency call? Trust in the state’s infrastructure and operators has been badly damaged – and this is just the beginning of the story.