Apple Japan to Replace Overheating iPods

[Paul Daniel Ash]

Apple's Japan subsidiary said in an online statement that the company will replace any first-generation iPod nano that overheats. As reported by AppleInsider, this improves on an earlier offer where they had only promised to replace faulty batteries. The concession only came after Apple finally revealed 30 more cases of overheating iPods, after a delay which a spokesman for the Japanese trade ministry said was "truly regrettable."

The first generation iPods, made between September 2005 and December 2006, had been associated with about 27 incidents of overheating in Japan, including six fires and four cases where users were slightly burnt. The Japanese government's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) had been after Apple to provide better information on how to determine if their devices were affected. The problems have caused some iPod nanos to actually melt, or in the worst cases fail to boot. Apple had said the incidents were "very rare" and blamed the problem on a single battery manufacturer, but declined to identify which one it was, making it impossible for users to know if their iPod is one that could potentially be affected. "We've worked closely with METI to make sure first-generation iPod nano customers who are concerned with their battery have the latest information," U.S.-based spokesman Tom Neumayr had said on August 6.

On Sunday, however, Apple identified an additional 34 cases of overheating, and offered to replace any iPod nano that overheated. Though this was an improvement on a previous offer to replace the battery of any overheated iPod, METI was unhappy at learning only this week about the additional cases, calling the delay "truly regrettable."

Source: AppleInsider

[artbran]

interesting,
Go figure. They conceal information...

[whereswaldo]

I've had my first gen nano since it came out, the only problem is the battery lasts about 4 hours

[coolguy742]

interesting,
Go figure. They conceal information...

I agree, apple always has to hide information from us. What deuche bags.

[RICO_]

They were holding their iPods wrong.

[Oooshaa]

I got a warning on my IP4 yesterday saying I couldn't use it till it cooled down but it didn't feel hot so idk

[santacruzlocal]

Well this sucks ... I sold my first gen nano and bought a new one, oh well!!!

[macsoldier]

apple possibly looking at more lawsuits for the "slightly burned people"...

[awesomeSlayer]

Apple forgot to tell that the overheating makes sushi.

Ouch!

[dale2]

The problems have caused some iPod nanos to actually melt, or in the worst cases fail to boot.

So melting is not as bad as failure to boot? Can a molten iPod nano still boot!?