| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident with the TCL Stylus 5G phone involved issues such as random resets, Bluetooth problems, and a fatal crash that required a factory reset. These software issues made the phone challenging to use, impacting its usability significantly. TCL acknowledged these issues and mentioned that patches are in the works to address them. The article highlights that the problems persisted even after installing a November software update, indicating that the software failure incident occurred again within the same organization (TCL) and with its product, the TCL Stylus 5G phone [135661].
(b) The software failure incident with the TCL Stylus 5G phone, particularly the Bluetooth connectivity issues and storage corruption leading to a factory reset, could be considered as a common occurrence in the mobile industry. The article mentions that the reviewer experienced these issues on two review units before the November software patch was released. This suggests that similar software issues may have been encountered by users of other devices or brands, indicating that such incidents are not exclusive to TCL but could potentially happen with other organizations or their products as well [135661]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the article. The TCL Stylus 5G experienced a series of software issues during testing, including random resets, Bluetooth problems, and a fatal crash that required a factory reset. These issues were attributed to software bugs that frequently impacted usability, indicating a failure in the design phase of the system development [135661].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is also highlighted in the article. The article mentions that the phone unexpectedly reset itself several times a week during power-consuming tasks, such as listening to music, browsing the web, playing games, and video calling. Additionally, there were Bluetooth connectivity issues that affected the operation of the phone, particularly when using certain apps. These issues were related to the operation or misuse of the system, indicating a failure in the operation phase [135661]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
The software failure incident related to the TCL Stylus 5G phone involved both within_system and outside_system contributing factors.
1. **Within_system**: The article mentions that the TCL Stylus 5G experienced a series of software issues, including random resets, Bluetooth problems, and a fatal crash that required a factory reset [135661]. These issues were directly related to the software within the phone itself, indicating internal system failures.
2. **Outside_system**: On the other hand, the article also highlights that TCL acknowledged the software issues and mentioned that patches are in the works to address the problems [135661]. This indicates that external factors, such as software updates and patches, are being developed to mitigate the software failures originating from outside the system.
Therefore, the software failure incident with the TCL Stylus 5G involved a combination of within_system issues within the phone itself and outside_system factors related to the development and deployment of software updates to address the identified problems. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
The software failure incident with the TCL Stylus 5G was primarily due to software issues such as random resets, Bluetooth problems, and a fatal crash that required a factory reset. These issues were experienced by the reviewer during testing, indicating that the failures were a result of contributing factors introduced without human participation [135661].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
There is no specific mention in the article about the software failure incident being directly caused by human actions. The issues mentioned, such as random resets, Bluetooth problems, and a fatal crash, were attributed to software bugs and performance issues rather than human actions [135661]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware:
- The article mentions that the TCL Stylus 5G experienced random resets, Bluetooth problems, and a fatal crash that required a factory reset [135661]. These issues indicate that there were contributing factors originating in the hardware of the phone that led to software failures.
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to software:
- The article highlights that the TCL Stylus 5G faced software problems that impacted its usability, such as frequent resets, Bluetooth connectivity issues, and storage corruption requiring a factory reset [135661]. These issues point to contributing factors originating in the software of the device that led to software failures. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The article reports on software failure incidents related to non-malicious factors. The software issues experienced with the TCL Stylus 5G included random resets, Bluetooth problems, and a fatal crash that required a factory reset [135661]. These issues were not caused by malicious intent but rather by technical faults or bugs in the system. The article mentions that TCL acknowledged these issues and is working on patches to address them, indicating a non-malicious nature of the software failures. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
From the provided article [135661], the software failure incident related to the TCL Stylus 5G phone can be attributed to both poor decisions and accidental decisions.
1. Poor Decisions:
The software failure incident can be linked to poor decisions made in the development and release of the TCL Stylus 5G. The article mentions that the phone experienced a series of software issues, including random resets, Bluetooth problems, and a fatal crash that required a factory reset. These issues impacted the usability of the phone, making it challenging to use. Despite TCL acknowledging the issues and working on patches, the software problems persisted even after installing a November software update. This indicates that there may have been shortcomings in the software development process or decision-making regarding software quality assurance [135661].
2. Accidental Decisions:
Additionally, the software failure incident can also be associated with accidental decisions or unintended consequences. For example, the article highlights that the MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G chip powering the device initially handled most tasks without trouble. However, over time, the phone unexpectedly reset itself several times a week during power-consuming tasks like listening to music, browsing the web, and playing games. This indicates that there were unintended consequences or mistakes in the performance of the device, leading to software issues and disruptions in user experience [135661].
Therefore, the software failure incident involving the TCL Stylus 5G phone can be attributed to a combination of poor decisions in software development and accidental decisions or unintended consequences in the performance of the device. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to development incompetence:
The software issues experienced with the TCL Stylus 5G, such as random resets, Bluetooth problems, and a fatal crash requiring a factory reset, were attributed to software bugs frequently impacting usability. The article mentions that TCL acknowledged the issues and mentioned that patches are in the works, indicating that the software problems were likely due to development incompetence [135661].
(b) The software failure incident occurring accidentally:
There is no specific mention in the article indicating that the software failure incident with the TCL Stylus 5G was accidental. The issues mentioned, such as random resets, Bluetooth problems, and a fatal crash, are more likely attributed to software bugs and development incompetence rather than accidental factors. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the TCL Stylus 5G phone was temporary. The article mentions that the reviewer experienced random resets, Bluetooth problems, and a fatal crash that required a factory reset over the four months of testing the phone [135661]. These issues were acknowledged by TCL, and patches were said to be in the works to address them. Additionally, the article notes that a software update did address the Bluetooth connectivity issues experienced by the reviewer, indicating that the software problems were not permanent but rather due to specific circumstances that could be resolved through updates and patches. |
| Behaviour |
crash, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident mentioned in the article involved a fatal crash that required a factory reset, indicating a failure due to the system losing state and not performing any of its intended functions [135661].
(b) omission: The article does not specifically mention a failure due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s).
(c) timing: The article does not mention a failure due to the system performing its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early.
(d) value: The software failure incident involved software bugs frequently impacting usability, indicating a failure due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly [135661].
(e) byzantine: The article does not mention a failure due to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The software failure incident also involved Bluetooth connectivity issues, where wireless headphones disconnected and reconnected repeatedly before a software update addressed the problem. This could be categorized as a timing issue, where the system was performing its intended functions correctly but at the wrong time, causing inconvenience [135661]. |