Apple is asking some of its customers with MacBook Pro laptops to stop using the machines immediately and to replace the batteries as soon as possible over ‘a fire risk’. The company said on Thursday that a limited number of its largest laptop line, sold between September 2015 and February 2017, contained batteries that ‘may overheat and pose a safety risk’.
The company has offered to replace the batteries free of charge as part of the recall. It says the service may take one to two weeks. The company said anyone with the model in question, which cost upwards of £1,599, should cross-check the serial number of the machine on the Apple recall site.
The serial number can be found by clicking on the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen and choosing ‘About this Mac’. ‘Customer safety is always Apple’s top priority, and we have voluntarily decided to replace affected batteries, free of charge,’ Apple said in a statement. The battery issues did not affect other 15in MacBook Pro laptops or other Mac products, it said. In April, Apple recalled some of its plug adapters after discovering they could break and cause electric shocks when touched.