Apple and Samsung admit smartphone faults

Less than a month after Samsung's new flagship smartphone – the Galaxy S5 – arrived in the UK, it has been revealed that a "very limited" number of handsets have shipped with a faulty camera.

In a statement to Reuters, the Korean manufacturer confirmed reports of a glitch affecting some S5s that told users the camera – one of the handset's acclaimed features – had failed.

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Samsung told Reuters the problem "was caused by complications in the ROM (Read Only Memory) component which stores the information necessary to operate the camera".

It hasn't been confirmed if anyone in the UK has been affected by the issue, but a spokesperson did say the problem had been reported in the US and a number of other countries.

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Unveiled amid great anticipation, the Galaxy S5 is the latest version of the flagship smartphone and faces stiff competition from the likes of HTC's One M8 and the forthcoming Apple iPhone 6.

In our review of the four-star handset, we said: "The S5 is fast, powerful and the slickest Galaxy phone yet: but it’s not the best for audio or video and doesn’t quite have that wow factor."

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Meanwhile, Apple has admitted that a "small percentage" of iPhone 5s manufactured from March 2013 onwards may have an issue that causes the sleep/wake button mechanism to fail.

Users that are experiencing difficulties with the sleep/wake button are being advised to get in touch with Apple to see if they qualify for the Replacement Process.

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by Pete Hayman

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Pete was content editor on What Hi-Fi?, overseeing production and publication of digital content. In creating and curating feature articles for web and print consumption, he provided digital and editorial expertise and support to help reposition What Hi-Fi? as a ‘digital-first’ title; reflecting the contemporary media trends. He is now a senior content strategist.