Apple Program Addresses Faulty Third Party Adapters

You own a smartphone to improve your productivity and make your business more mobile, not to cause property damage or even worse death.

But reports of just such occurrences motivated Apple Inc. to offer an adapter take-back program aimed at getting potentially substandard adapters off the street.

Here’s How It Works

Participating in the take-back program couldn’t be easier. Starting Friday, just take any suspect UBS adapters for iPhones, iPads or iPods to your nearest Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider. They’ll take care of the rest.

Dropped off USB adapters are disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. For a limited time you can also replace it with an Apple USB Adapter, which the company says undergoes rigorous testing and is designed to meet safety standards all over the world.

Apple is selling the replacement adapter, limited to one per device, for a special low cost of $10. To qualify for the special price, customers must bring in their iPhone, iPad or iPod for serial number verification. Special pricing is valid through Oct. 18.

Incidents Cause Safety Concerns

Concerns over suspect mobile adapters began when a Chinese woman was electrocuted in July after answering a call on her iPhone. A similar incident with an iPhone put a Beijing man in a coma after he also received an electric shock.

Apple hasn’t been the only tech company with serious safety issues raised over incidents related to their phones either. A Samsung Galaxy S4 reportedly caught fire and destroyed a family’s apartment in Hong Kong last month. Again faulty parts not original to the device are suspected.

Fire Photo via Shutterstock