Galaxy S22 (Image courtesy of Samsung Electronics)
SEOUL, Feb. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – Samsung Electronics is currently embroiled in a legal battle over allegations that the Game Optimizing Service (GOS) featured in its Galaxy S22 series has led to performance degradation.
The controversy has sparked a collective lawsuit from consumers, who claim that Samsung’s lack of transparency regarding the GOS function misled them into purchasing the smartphones under false pretenses.
The lawsuit, which involves 1,882 plaintiffs, had its first preparatory hearing on February 22 at the Seoul Central District Court.
The plaintiffs argue that Samsung’s failure to disclose the operational mechanics of GOS, which limits the smartphone’s performance across various applications, particularly games, led to an infringement of their right to make an informed purchase.
GOS is designed to manage the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) performance during high-demand tasks such as gaming, reducing screen resolution and other parameters to mitigate overheating risks.
Samsung, on the other hand, contends that the allegations lack merit, stating that GOS is merely a solution implemented to optimize performance during specific gaming applications, not a tool to universally downgrade device capabilities.
The company emphasized the distinction between this case and a previous lawsuit where Apple was partially found liable for deliberately slowing down iPhone performance through iOS updates.
Samsung highlighted that Apple’s case involved a widespread application of performance-limiting features to prevent shutdowns, whereas the GOS issue pertains only to specific gaming environments.
Samsung also pointed to the forthcoming decision by the Fair Trade Commission regarding the GOS matter, indicating that the company’s future actions would be guided by the regulatory body’s findings.
The ongoing legal dispute underscores the complex balance between device performance optimization and consumer rights, with the outcome potentially setting a precedent for how tech companies disclose and implement performance-managing features in their products.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
