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Amid recent hubbub about laptop batteries catching fire, Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) has launched a voluntary recall program for some of its 15-inch MacBook Pro batteries.
The company cites performance concerns with the rechargeable batteries, and assured customers that the batteries do not pose a safety risk.
Specifically, Apple's worldwide battery exchange program is valid for certain rechargeable batteries that were sold for use with the 15-inch MacBook Pro computer systems from February 2006 through May 2006.
"We recently discovered that some 15-inch MacBook Pro batteries supplied to Apple do not meet our high standards for battery performance," Apple said in a statement. "To give our users the best experience possible, we will replace these batteries for customers free of charge."
A Quiet Offer
The affected batteries have model number A1175 and a 12-digit serial number that ends with U7SA, U7SB or U7SC. MacBook Pro owners can remove the battery from the computer and view the serial numbers on the bottom of the battery.
Apple reiterated that only batteries in the noted serial number ranges may be exchanged, and instructed recent purchasers of 15-inch MacBook Pros to check the battery to confirm its status.
"Since it's not dangerous, Apple figures if people don't notice the performance issues then there's no reason to draw their attention to it. At the same time, Apple has to make the exchange option available so it doesn't appear to be shirking its responsibilities," Endpoint Technologies Associates Principal Analyst Roger Kay told MacNewsWorld.
Free Exchange
To begin the battery exchange process, Apple laptop owners will be asked for the serial number of their 15-inch MacBook Pro and the serial number of their battery, along with a ship-to address.
After Apple verifies the serial numbers, the company will ship a new battery to the applicant free of charge. Apple expects users to return the recalled battery in a prepaid shipping package for proper recycling.
This is not the first time Apple has recalled batteries. The Mac maker recalled 128,000 batteries from its PowerBook G4 and iBook G4 models last year.
Apple also issued a recall in August 2004 when about 28,000 of the batteries shipped in an earlier batch of its 15-inch PowerBook G4s had defective batteries. Unlike the current voluntary recall, Apple's last initiative was mandatory because the hazard involved an internal short that causes the battery to overheat, posing a fire hazard.
Apple is not alone. In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) in April issued a voluntary recall of some of its notebook computer batteries due to fire hazard, and in December, Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) recalled about 35,000 notebook batteries for the same reason.
Power: The Weak Link
"Batteries are a weak point in the laptop system," Kay noted. "Batteries are heavy. If you add more battery you end up hurting the mobility of the product and make the system more expensive. The Holy Grail is an all-day battery that doesn't weigh or cost much."
Unfortunately, Kay added, Moore's Law does not apply to batteries the same way it does to silicon. In other words, the rate of performance improvements is slow. Packing too much power in a battery can lead to an explosive situation, as Dell and others have learned.
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