2011-02-24 12:28:00
Samsung phone Samsung user Alex Roebuck took this picture of his 'bricked'
phone
Microsoft has withdrawn a software update for its Windows Phone system after it
made some handsets unusable.
The problem appears to have affected a small number of mobiles made by Samsung.
Owners reported their phones crashing, and in some cases failing to start up
altogether.
Microsoft said it was working to fix the issue and would send out a new update
as soon as possible.
The download in question was the first update for Windows Phone since it
launched last October.
"In some circumstances it renders the phone completely unusable and can't be
restored to a previous version," said Leigh Geary, editor of
Coolsmartphone.com.
"It is going to portray Microsoft in a bad light," he added.
Angry users shared their experiences of installing it on user forums.
"I've got an unmodified Samsung Omnia 7, now bricked," wrote one contributor to
Microsoft's Answers site.
"My phone is currently unusable, even after hard reset," another user wrote on
the same site.
Technical issue
In a statement, Microsoft said: "We have identified a technical issue with the
Windows Phone update process that impacts a small number of phones.
"We have temporarily taken down the latest software update for Samsung phones
in order to correct the issue and as soon as possible will redistribute the
update."
Samsung Omnia 7 owner Alex Roebuck tried to upgrade, but found his phone became
unusable.
He said it was unclear if he should take up the issue with his network provider
or Microsoft.
"I do not want to be without my handset, so I have decided to wait for a few
days to see if a solution can be found, either by Microsoft or the hacker
community," he told BBC News.
The update problem comes at a bad time for Microsoft, as it attempts to grow
its share of the lucrative smartphone market.
The company recently announced a partnership with Nokia to manufacture handsets
running the Windows Phone operating system.