NEWS
NEWS
NEWS
Apple recalls Mac and iOS plug adapters as electric shocks weren’t meant to be a feature
Apple, Inc. has issued a recall for plug adapters sold with Mac and iOS devices in large parts of the world between 2003 and 2015.
Adapters sold in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Argentina and Brazil are affected, as well as plug adapters sold as part of Apple’s World Travel Adapter Kit.
In an unprecedented recall advisory notice, Apple said that the affected adapters may break and create a risk of electrical shock if touched.
Apple said that the cases were rare but it is aware of 12 incidents worldwide where customers were shocked, but none took place in the United States.
The affected adapters are those that attach directly to the Apple power brick that ships with Apple’s Mac line and earlier iOS devices and does not affect smaller USB power adapters that currently ship with Apple’s current range of iOS; it also doesn’t effect Mac’s that have a longer cord from the power brick to the power point.
The recall does not affect UBS power adapters or Apple plug adapters designed for Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, the United Kingdom, or the United States.
Apple did not say how many users were affected, but potentially the number could be as many as tens of millions.
Identification
Apple advised that those adapters covered by the recall could be identified by numbers or nothing at all on the underside of each adapter, or in Apple’s words “An affected two-prong plug adapter has either four or five characters or no characters on the inside slot where it attaches to the main Apple power adapter.”
Adapters that have letters with a country code such as US, EU and AUS are not affected.
Customers who don’t enjoy electric shocks and seeking to obtain a free exchange of their adapter are advised to visit their local Apple Store, authorized Apple service provider, or to contact Apple support.
If you’re unable to do so immediately, Apple advises that you stop using your adapter until such time you can, writing “Because customer safety is the company’s top priority, Apple is asking customers to stop using affected plug adapters.”
Image credit: tomasfano/Flickr/CC by 2.0
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