LG 830 "Spyder" phones recalled for dropping 911 calls

Stranded motorist sparks nationwide handset fix

By Austin Modine • Get more from this author

Posted in Mobile, 2nd March 2009 03:51 GMT

US consumer safety regulators have issued a recall on some 30,000 LG mobile phones after a software error caused a stranded motorist's phone to drop its connection to 911 emergency services.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the recall involves LG 830 "Spyder" touch-screen cell phones sold in the US from September through November 2008. Affected handsets use software versions T83LGV03 and T83LGV04.

The recall is based on a single report of a motorist in a disabled car who's 911 call was dropped because the network had difficulty establishing a GPS lock on the phone.

CPSC warns the phones require a software upgrade or the phone may have trouble with poor or dropped connections on emergency 911 calls — generally conversations you want to come through crystal clear.

Spyder owners can spot their handset's model number underneath the battery. The software version is verified on the "phone information" menu in the handset's settings. LG says it's contacting customers with affected phones to schedule a free software upgrade.

The phones were sold at cellular dealers in Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Washington State, and Wisconsin. ®

Free whitepaper – Out-of-box comparison between Dell, HP, and IBM blade servers