Malcolm Owen
Photos have been shared of a designer's Mid-2015 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro that has suffered a catastrophic battery failure, images that illustrate why Apple recently instigated a recall program for some units of that particular model.
On June 20, Apple launched a voluntary recall of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, specifically those sold between September 2015 and February 2017, over concerns the battery posed a safety risk. Under the recall, which provides a replacement battery for affected Mac notebooks, Apple explained the battery "may overheat and pose a fire safety risk" in some cases, something that has been illustrated by one unlucky owner.
Designer Steven Gagne of Pensacola, Florida, encountered a failure of his MacBook Pro's battery on June 17 while in bed, according to a Facebook post spotted by PetaPixel. The battery "blew and a small fire filled my house with smoke," wrote Gagne, noting the sound of the event and the strong chemical and burning smell.
One concern was that the MacBook Pro wasn't actively being used by Gagne at the time of the incident. He claims it was sitting "screen closed, unplugged, and in Sleep Mode" on a coffee table. Gagne was lucky in that normally the MacBook Pro was kept in a basket filled with notebooks and journals, or on the couch, with either location potentially causing far more damage than what transpired.
The images shared by Gagne shows a round hole on the base of the MacBook Pro, where the battery burned through, complete with a matching hole on the coffee tablet itself. Burn marks, soot, and other marks caused through the spilled chemicals are also visible, while notably there are also scorch marks around the front side of the trackpad.
Apple's recall site includes a serial number checker to see if a concerned user's MacBook Pro is eligible for a replacement battery. If it is one of the affected models, Apple advises to immediately stop using the notebook and to request a replacement battery, either via the Apple Store, an Apple Authorized Service Provider, or by mail via Apple Support.
AppleInsider Staff
Oliver Haslam
Andrew O'Hara
Wesley Hilliard
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
19 Comments
Missed out on marketing opportunity...
4th of July smoking hot fire sale on 15-inch MacBook Pro.
We promise not to explode your wallet, but if you get burned call 911.
Has Apple detailed what 'some cases' refers to?
Every single Mac laptop I've owned has had battery problems (swelling only up to this point) except the MacBook Air, fingers crossed.
I wonder if heat is one of the cases as, for example, it can get very hot where I live and I don't have air conditioning.
I also wonder if Apple is substituting these damaged machines with MBPs from a more recent generation or the same line with 'fixed' batteries.
With a little luck Apple can proactively contact owners in most cases to notify them and rely less on other channels.
Batteries are batteries.
It’s very mature tech, but like anything else, you are going to have some problems.
Apple, Samsung, Tesla, Microsoft, Google, etc. have all found this out the hard way.
Kinda scary though. You just never know. Checked my mbp yesterday and it’s clear, but wow. I’m taking a lot more care where I place my electronics when I’m not using them.