Apple on Friday evening issued a recall to owners of some first generation iPod Nano MP3 players, citing a overheating issue affecting an undisclosed number of units. may be eligible for a replacement device.
According to the Replacement Program page on Apple's website:
Apple recommends that you stop using the unit (if it's not already sitting in a dusty, forlorn drawer somewhere), and the company will send you a replacement iPod.
This most recent Nano recall is virtually identical to a 2008 kerfuffle, when Apple issued a recall for first generation Nanos in Japan for the exact same reasons. Apple said in a statement at the time that in "very rare cases batteries in first generation iPod Nanos sold between September 2005 and December 2006 can overheat causing failure and deformation of the iPod Nano."
In both instances, the battery overheating problem was traced to a single supplier that delivered batteries with a manufacturing defect.
So why hasn't this been an issue for Nano owners until now, especially if the same issue was identified in Japan three years ago? It looks like the five to six year old batteries aren't aging gracefully. Apple says that, "While the possibility of an incident is rare, the likelihood increases as the battery ages."
If you have a first generation iPod Nano, you can visit this web site to identify if yours is one of the units affected based on the serial number on the back of the device.
via 9to5Mac
