Samsung has confirmed that a limited number of a Galaxy S5 smartphones sold by Verizon Wireless are afflicted with a bug that permanently disables the camera.
“We have learned that a limited number of Galaxy S5 devices may have an issue that causes ‘Camera Failure’ pop-up error message,” said the company in a statement provided to The Verge. The GS5 has a 16-megapixel camera. Consumers with affected devices may contact Samsung directly or exchange the device at Verizon’s retail stores. The other carrier variants of the GS5 don’t appear to suffer the same flaw.
The GS5 is sold by most carriers in the U.S. for about $200 on contract or $26 per month with an installment plan.