Samsung is being sued over defective camera glass on the Galaxy S20 series

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Samsung for providing ‘defective’ glass on the camera of its flagship series, the Galaxy S20. According to the law firm Hagens Berman, Samsung has ignored a widespread defect prevalent on the Galaxy S20 series of smartphones where the protective glass on top of the camera module shatters unexpectedly during normal use

Samsung is being accused of fraud, breach of warranty, and violations of several consumer-protection laws. The press note shared by the law firm on its website says that Samsung sold its smartphone range with a defect affecting the rear camera module’s glass that apparently shatters spontaneously, with no external force applied, even when the phone is inside a protective case. The defect is said to be affecting the entire Galaxy S20 series including the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, Galaxy S20 Ultra, Galaxy S20 FE, and all the 5G variants of these phones as well. Notably, this issue has been around ever since the phone series first launched as a certain owner of the Galaxy S20 reported about the issue on Samsung’s community website just four days after it went on sale.

“Samsung sold its Galaxy S20 as a high-end option for consumers, with a ‘professional’ grade camera, charging upwards of $1,600 per device, only to have them suddenly lose a major aspect of their functionality. During a time of social-distancing and increased use of online access, consumers are especially in need of a reliable mobile device, yet Samsung has refused to deliver the reliability it promised its customers,” said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman and attorney for consumers in the class action.

According to consumers, Samsung has refused to cover the issue under warranty and is asking $400 to send the phone back to Samsung to investigate the issue or $100 under purchased Samsung care device insurance to repair the shattered glass. Even after complying with the costs, certain consumers are repeatedly facing the issue, while others have paid hundreds of dollars at third-party repair shops.

The press note cites a post on the Samsung consumer forum by a Samsung Care Ambassador as saying, “This happened to one of our ambassadors. After many complaints about the issue, we found out that it has to do with pressure buildup underneath the glass and not customers banging it against something.” Despite Samsung acknowledging the issue, the company did not resort to a recall and apparently continues to deny customer warranty claims.

The lawsuit sounds like good news for customers affected by the issue. The law firm also offers a form on its website that you can fill out and seek compensation. However, even if the lawsuit goes in the favor of consumers, there is no guarantee that you would receive enough money that can cover the cost of your repairs.

:story: XDA