Apple Launches USB-C Charge Cable Replacement Program for Retina MacBook

[Robert.Walter]

Have a solution from support now - the cable will most likely be sent to the same address your MacBook order was sent to.

They have cancelled my automatic replacement and set up a new one to my current address. Was an ordeal but they figured it out in the end.

Also, for anyone wondering, it appears you won't have to send your current one back - or at least that's what it says with my repair ID.

Worse than the 6? How is that possible?

Have a solution from support now - the cable will most likely be sent to the same address your MacBook order was sent to.

They have cancelled my automatic replacement and set up a new one to my current address. Was an ordeal but they figured it out in the end.

Also, for anyone wondering, it appears you won't have to send your current one back - or at least that's what it says with my repair ID.

Another prime example of the short-sighted stupidity of Apple's recall management team.

They assume people's physical addresses are static; the place that your product was delivered to is your 100% permanent address forever for everybody. This is ridiculous on its face.

Instead of contacting customers with a pop-up:
1. Informing them of the recall;
2. Displaying their current contact info after entry of their AppleID password;
3. asking them to review it and for any incorrect info, to go to my AppleID website to make updates and corrections.

In this way, they could update a significant portion of their database, and ensure that customers receive their replacement at the correct address.

They should also, offer an apology and give a 5$ iTunes credit, usable within 1-3 months as a token of regret and customer appreciation.

Cheap and incompetent minds are squandering an opportunity to really satisfy the customer.
[doublepost=1455416437][/doublepost]

Me as well. I am still waiting for Apple to (1) acknowledge the problem and (2) refund me the money I have spent on faulty Apple power supplies with inadequate strain relief. I even wrote a letter to Tim Cook, but alas no response... My kid, for whom I bough the MacBook, was so angered by a host of problems she experienced with her machine that she now uses a cheap PC and gets better reliability.

My 83 year old mom is on her 2nd replacement charger (not due to any apparent external cable damage, just stopped working. Apple gave the the 2nd one for free) in about 4 years (late 2011 MBA) I'm on my 1st.

Both of us use our MBA's mostly for backing up our iOS devices and archiving photos; almost never disconnecting them from the Mac (and never straining or coiling them.). Great looking little unit but with room for improvement in the robustness department.

 

[polee]

Is this for Apple worldwide or just USA?

Apple worldwide.

 

[maxsix]

After reading this I'm shelving my MB till I have a safe cable:


Right now, if you aren’t very careful, a USB-C cable can destroy your laptop. If you just go to Amazon and buy any pack of USB-C cables you find, you could end up with a wire that can destroy your machine in a flash.

Google engineer Benson Leung, who, in the course of testing a USB-C cable, destroyed his Chromebook Pixel.

It happened instantly.




http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/4/10916264/usb-c-russian-roulette-power-cords

 

[Gudi]

Yeah... This time third party is OK, but not OK with TouchID... I thought Apple will give me error 53 when I am not using original cable. I thought Apple will protect my MacBook burn in fire by brick my MacBook.

You do realize there is a difference between an internal flex cable that connects a sensor to the logic board and an external port to connect peripherals and transmit energy? USB-C was build and designed to be plugged and unplugged by the end-user a thousand times. It's got to be compatible.

Error 53 and Nick Sobotka, both got problems with not user-serviceable ports.​

 

[Bubba Satori]

These guys are going to design a car?

 

[alsaffar_ali]

My MacBook was purchased last May, and I was almost using it on daily basis, and the cable just stopped charging 2 days ago!

I purchased another brand USB-C cable to avoid having the same issue with Apple cable again, but the problem is that the other cable is not compatible with Apple USB-C/HDMI adapter!

I owned all previous MacBook Air models, and it was my biggest mistake to move to the new MacBook that has only ONE port to do 5 things at the same time, which really made my life worse not better.

After read the replacement program yesterday, I contacted apple.com, and they already shipped a new USB-C to me.

 

[Zellio]

All these recalls and yet fanboys are more then happy to let Apple force users to only replace their iphones with 'blessed by apple' products...

AT this rate third parties will have better products in a few years

 

[H2SO4]

And they took care of it, as expected.

Eh? They ‘took care of’ a faulty cable under warranty at no cost to the consumer. Bravo Tim!! Bravo!

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Design flaws happen. People think that Apple is immune to the realities of engineering. Just because they happen less often to Apple doesn't mean they don't happen. The bottom line is Apple is taking care of it.

The bottom line is that, for the Apple that focused on the minutiae of screws and IC orientation, having power cables, and power block plugs failing and, in the later, exposing their users to electrocution, I have to say that somewhere, at some level, they are failing at 'think(ing) different'.

Quality is not job one. No one seems to care about the 'entire Apple experience' anymore.

I'm sorry, but for the Häagen-Dazs of technology to be involved in such major technological gaffes isn't good for the brand, or the future.

Sure, they are 'on it', but there shouldn't be anything that they would have to be 'on' in the first place...

 

[Wowereit]

Design flaws happen. People think that Apple is immune to the realities of engineering. Just because they happen less often to Apple doesn't mean they don't happen.

Less often?
Especially Apple's cables have been garbage for years now.

 

[TommyBoy5]

I purchased and picked up my rMB on Day One. The cable is static, however. I never take it with me as the battery life of the rMB seems to be fine for my 8-hour days. Never a problem with the cable.

I did recently purchase a Belkin USB-C cable to charge the rMB on trips. I think it was $15 at Amazon and it works perfectly. I can leave it in the travel bag and the original cable stays put.

Looks like I'll be receiving another anyway. Could have saved myself $15.

 

[Tech198]

Less often?
Especially Apple's cables have been garbage for years now.

Actually they do happen more ofen, not less often..

How many times have you had the Power LED go on your adapter ? I've been through several power adapters in a very short time due to this LED not turning on despite it charging..

u want your adapters to actually tell u when their charging right ?

 

[HiFiGuy528]

You guys are having better success with Apple sending you a cable. I worked with two different support reps and no luck. I gave both of them a dislike survey... Spent nearly an hour on this which is total b.s.

 

[theluggage]

Is it me or does Apple seem really half-hearted on USB-C?

* The rest of the Mac range will probably use Thunderbolt 3, which uses USB-C connectors.
* Thunderbolt 3 needs Skylake processors.
* Skylake could also enable a major re-designe of the MacBook range.
* The Mac "flagships" - the Retina MB Pros - need the mobile Skylake processors with Iris Pro graphics, which aren't out yet.

 

[iheefz]

Apple today launched a worldwide replacement program for the USB-C charge cables that were shipped with the 12-inch Retina MacBook through June of 2015, as these cables can fail "due to a design issue."

According to Apple, affected cables may cause the MacBook to not charge or to charge intermittently when it is connected to a power adapter. Cables with the issue can be identified by their labeling, which reads "Designed by Apple in California. Assembled in China." Redesigned cables have the same text, but also include a serial number.

Apple is providing new, redesigned USB-C charge cables to MacBook owners with faulty cables at no cost. In addition to cables that shipped with the MacBook, the replacement program also includes faulty cables that were sold as standalone accessories.

Customers who supplied a valid mailing address when registering their product or purchasing it through the Apple Online Store will receive their new cables automatically, while other eligible MacBook owners can contact Apple Support, find an Apple Authorized Service Provider, or visit an Apple retail store to get their cables replaced. Affected USB-C charge cables can be replaced under this program until June 8, 2018.

The Retina MacBook first went on sale in April of 2015, so the problematic cables were sold for approximately two months before a redesigned version was released.

Article Link: Apple Launches USB-C Charge Cable Replacement Program for Retina MacBook

[doublepost=1455484604][/doublepost]I bought one when they first launched and then an extra charger and cable about a month later. Neither cable has writing on it.

 

[Taz Mangus]

Every Apple product has a recall these days.

Every Apple product? Really. Let's see my Apple TV 4, iPhone 6S+, iPad Air and retina MacBook Pro have all had recalls. Oh, wait...
[doublepost=1455486221][/doublepost]

These guys are going to design a car?

Because a company like Google will be better at designing cars, right?

 

[Nicky G]

me neither. I bought mine maybe a week or two after they came out.

OK, I ended up finding the wording. It is VERY small and faint. Went to local Apple Store this evening and swapped for a new one. You need to go to the Genius Bar.

 

[JamesPDX]

Worse than the 6? How is that possible?


Another prime example of the short-sighted stupidity of Apple's recall management team.

They assume people's physical addresses are static; the place that your product was delivered to is your 100% permanent address forever for everybody. This is ridiculous on its face.

Instead of contacting customers with a pop-up:
1. Informing them of the recall;
2. Displaying their current contact info after entry of their AppleID password;
3. asking them to review it and for any incorrect info, to go to my AppleID website to make updates and corrections.

In this way, they could update a significant portion of their database, and ensure that customers receive their replacement at the correct address.

They should also, offer an apology and give a 5$ iTunes credit, usable within 1-3 months as a token of regret and customer appreciation.

Cheap and incompetent minds are squandering an opportunity to really satisfy the customer.
[doublepost=1455416437][/doublepost]

My 83 year old mom is on her 2nd replacement charger (not due to any apparent external cable damage, just stopped working. Apple gave the the 2nd one for free) in about 4 years (late 2011 MBA) I'm on my 1st.

Both of us use our MBA's mostly for backing up our iOS devices and archiving photos; almost never disconnecting them from the Mac (and never straining or coiling them.). Great looking little unit but with room for improvement in the robustness department.

Ah! Don't say "robustness" -instead of building it better, it'll just be thinner and more "sparky" -and I don't mean snappy.

 

[Steve121178]

I owned all previous MacBook Air models, and it was my biggest mistake to move to the new MacBook that has only ONE port to do 5 things at the same time, which really made my life worse not better.

So it's your fault for buying a laptop that was never going to suit your needs.

 

[peterdevries]

The bottom line is that, for the Apple that focused on the minutiae of screws and IC orientation, having power cables, and power block plugs failing and, in the later, exposing their users to electrocution, I have to say that somewhere, at some level, they are failing at 'think(ing) different'.

Quality is not job one. No one seems to care about the 'entire Apple experience' anymore.

I'm sorry, but for the Häagen-Dazs of technology to be involved in such major technological gaffes isn't good for the brand, or the future.

Sure, they are 'on it', but there shouldn't be anything that they would have to be 'on' in the first place...

You seem to remember a time that never existed. Apple products had faults since Apple was created. I remember issues with early PowerBooks, first generation iPod cables, MacBook case cracking etc.

For a company with the production volumes that Apple has it is a given and unavoidable that faults creep into consumer ready products. It seems to occur more with Apple because they are under a magnifying glass, but none of their competitors are any better at QC or the resolution of issues than Apple is. Their service is second to none.

 

[Thunderhawks]

I'm sorry all Apple cables Svck . no matter what device. they break easily.

And always at the connection by the plugs, where the cables come out.
After 32 years (I use Apple since 1984) I think they could have figured
something out.
And, I NEVER pull any cable by the cable, always grab the connector bodies
and make sure cables have enough spaces to stay in a nice loop, rather than a kinked 90 or so.
[doublepost=1455542288][/doublepost]

Are you as perfect as you expect Apple to be?


Come on, man. That's so overused. Can't we come up with something more original?

You are overusing it wrong?

 

[Tiger8]

I never liked that laptop. I find it funny also no one pointed out the obvious, that Apple actually ripped a then 4-month old Samsung Ativ 9 laptop.

12 inch 16:10 ratio? Check
Ultra high resolution? Check
Ultra light? Check
Ultra thin? Check
Core M Processor? Check
Even the overall dimensions and aesthetics are similar. I saw the laptop in Samsung store, was ready to say 'samsung ripped apple off', but guess who released it first?

I only wish Apple continued to rip off Samsung, who managed to fit two full USB ports, micro-HDMI, and a dedicated charger.

 

[peterdevries]

I never liked that laptop. I find it funny also no one pointed out the obvious, that Apple actually ripped a then 4-month old Samsung Ativ 9 laptop.

12 inch 16:10 ratio? Check
Ultra high resolution? Check
Ultra light? Check
Ultra thin? Check
Core M Processor? Check
Even the overall dimensions and aesthetics are similar. I saw the laptop in Samsung store, was ready to say 'samsung ripped apple off', but guess who released it first?

I only wish Apple continued to rip off Samsung, who managed to fit two full USB ports, micro-HDMI, and a dedicated charger.

Oh please. do we really need anyone to come back in here posting the phone comparison pictures again? No one is ripping of anyone else here. Designs are converging because consumer tastes converge.

 

[tbrinkma]

I'm confused, the picture shows a Lightning cable but the article says USB-C.

Unless they've silently updated the image, that's not a lightning cable. Notice the lack of rounded corners on the end, and the lack of clearly visible contacts.

 

[revlisoft]

I don't see any "Designed by Apple in...." stamping on my USB-C cord for my Macbook. Anyone else?

I can't find it either.


nvm..found it.