Apple on Friday afternoon recalled the ultracompact USB power adapter for iPhone 3Gs with warnings that they might pose a hazard to owners.
No injuries have been reported by users affected by the failure, and the issue affects just a "very small" number of adapters, Apple claims.
Nonetheless, the company is giving iPhone 3G owners in Canada, Japan, Mexico, the US, and a number of Latin American countries a free replacement charger regardless of whether they're likely to suffer the problem. Owners are asked to immediately stop using the old charger until they receive a replacement and to use either a direct USB connection to a computer, an older iPhone charger, or a third-party accessory to power the iPhone until the replacement arrives in the mail.
Those who bought the power adapter as a stand-alone accessory should also trade theirs in, Apple says.
The company doesn't explain what may have triggered the issue but explains that users can visually identify the new, fixed adapter through a green dot on the prong side of the device.
Replacements should be available from October 10th either online or at retail but will need a given iPhone's serial number as part of the swap.
Apple's replacement power adapter; affected models lack the green dot.
25 Comments
This is a shocking story.....
This is a shocking story.....
Har Har Har
Seriously though, how do you not pull the prongs out of the wall? The cord comes out before that happens.
Nice. A free charger! Now I'll have two!
Nice. A free charger! Now I'll have two!
Shocking.
What's the fuss about?
Anyone who dies by breaking this adapter off and then touching the exposed contacts had it coming. Natural selection baby.