What does one do when they call an emergency number, but their mobile phone handset decides against letting them connect? Panic would probably be the first reaction and, secondly, fury with the provider and possibly with the handset itself. 

This incident took place with a user in US, where the emergency call to 911 was dropped. Apparently the call was dropped because a malfunctioning GPS system could not get an exact location for the caller. The user was in a disabled car and was using a LG 830 Spyder mobile phone handset. As a result of this one incident, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled 30,000 LG 830 Spyder phones in an effort to avoid further incidents from taking place. 

The handsets that are facing this difficulty will require a software update to alleviate the problem. The model that was involved is a touch screen slide phone made by LG. The affected handsets are running software versions T83LGV03 and T83LGV04. The software version number is printed underneath the battery. 

LG is attempting to contact the users who fall within this particular category, and will be scheduling upgrades to their phones as soon as possible. Of course, the upgrades will be completely free of charge, seeing as it is a rather serious manufacturing defect, and entirely the fault of the issuing company. The handsets were sold in the states of Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Washington State and Wisconsin, towards the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter of last year. 

Thankfully no injuries have been reported as a result of the deficiency, and apart from the one incident there have been no serious situations. 

About the phone

The LG 830 Spyder mobile phone handset is a rather popular model as it has a large touch screen interface in addition to having a numeric keypad for quick dialling. It has a metal casing which makes the phone sturdy and very durable. 

It has a number of features incorporated into the phone, including many connectivity features like Bluetooth and 3G compatibility. It has a 3 megapixel camera, in addition to being able to conduct video recording on the phone. 

In terms of multimedia features, the phone has a built-in music player as well the video support. Web services like mobile Internet are also available on the mobile phone handset, making it a standard device. 

A special feature of the phone is that it is hearing aid compatible, a feature which is not commonly found in other phones. Apart from that, there is voice-activated dialing and other voice commands. 

Unfortunately the handset has difficulty in sustaining communication with the emergency lines like 911. Even if the call connects, more often than not the voice is fuzzy and the call quality very poor. There have been repeated disconnects, generating a great deal of inconvenience. The manufacturers are thankfully accepting responsibility and recalling handsets before a more serious accident occurs due to the phone. 

Check out the handset on LG’s website, here.