Apple offers exchange for millions of iPhone chargers that could 'pose a safety risk' (but don't worry; the UK's are fine)

Adapters for iPhone 3GS, 4 and 4S sold between 2009 and 2012 are affected

James Vincent
Friday 13 June 2014 08:33 EDT
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Apple has offered to exchange millions of European iPhone chargers sold between October 2009 and September 2012, warning customers that the USB adapters could “overheat and pose a safety risk”.

The iPhone maker says that the affected model can be identified by its model number A1300 and was issued with the iPhone 3GS, 4 and 4S. Thirty seven countries in total are affected – although the UK is not.

Although it’s not clear how many customers might swap their chargers, considering that Apple sold roughly 16 million iPhones in Western Europe in 2010 alone, the scale of the program could be gigantic.

How to identify the faulty charger.
How to identify the faulty charger.

Owners of the charger in question can get them exchanged at an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. Alternatively they can contact Apple Technical Support to arrange for an exchange. Individuals who might have already purchased a third-party replacement can also get a full refund.

It’s unusual for Apple to issue a recall of its own chargers, although it has previously offered an Adapter Takeback Program (now discontinued) which offered discounted chargers in exchange for third-party alternatives – some of which were found to be posing a hazard to customers.

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