Bphones Recalled Less Than 2 Weeks After Delivery

Two weeks following the release of the Bphone, dubbed “the best smartphone in the world,” by its maker, the company has announced that the handsets are being recalled for a software update and camera upgrade.

The phone, the first for Bkav, which is known for its antivirus software, was released with great fanfare in May with specs that the company said would make it an iPhone killer.

The first batch of Bphones were delivered to customers on June 18 after numerous delays. Bkav recorded 11,822 orders on its first day of sales though it has not revealed how many phones have been delivered thus far, reports Tuoi Tre.

Those that have made it to consumers have been recalled for a software update that the company previously said would be done online. The recalled phones will get a firmware update from Bkav engineers in addition to new cameras that “enable them to take better photos than the iPhone 6 Plus,” according to Do Thu Hang, director of public relations with Bkav.

The Bphone is available at three different price points. A 16GB Bphone sells at VND9.99 million, while the 64GB and 24k gold plated 128GB editions will set you back VND12.96 million ($595) and VND20.19 million ($927), respectively.

However, only three days after display models were put in FPT shops, they were hastily removed due to negative feedback from consumers who tested them. Bkav later said that the demo devices were “experimental versions rather than the official commercial devices.”