Company asks customers to stop using speakers, promising refund after discovering that ‘in rare cases’ they may catch on fire

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Apple has issued a voluntary recall of its Beats Pill XL speakers, after discovering that the device’s battery can overheat and catch on fire.

While the company claims that this is “rare”, it is nevertheless asking customers to stop using the speakers and return them, claiming a full refund of £215 in the UK, and $325 in the US.

“Apple has determined that, in rare cases, the battery in the Beats Pill XL may overheat and pose a fire safety risk. The recall does not affect any other Beats or Apple products,” explained a statement from the company.



“Because customer safety is the company’s top priority, Apple is asking customers to stop using their Beats Pill XL speakers.”

The speakers were launched by Beats Electronics in November 2013, several months before Apple bought the company – founded by Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine – for $3bn.

While product recalls of this type are rare for Apple, they have happened before. In August 2004, the company recalled some of the lithium ion rechargeable batteries for its 15-inch PowerBook G4 laptops, after safety concerns over a fire hazard caused by possible overheating.

In August 2006, Apple recalled more laptop batteries made by Sony, which were prone to catching fire. In November 2011, meanwhile, Apple issued a recall for its first-generation iPod nano music player, which had launched in 2005, over similar fears that the battery could catch fire.