(Image courtesy of Anime Banzai)
The Japanese government has twisted Apple’s arm, and now Cupertino will be forced to replace first-generation iPod nanos sold in that country which were found to have a potentially serious overheating defect.
AppleInsider is reporting that Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is claiming that iPod nanos sold by Apple between September, 2005 and December, 2006 pose a safety risk, according to Reuters. The diminutive iPod nanos have been responsible for about 60 cases of overheating, with four such cases actually causing minor burns.
Apple claims that defective batteries would overheat in “very rare cases,” and started a battery replacement program in 2008. The Japanese trade ministry ordered Apple to publicize that fix on their website, but Cupertino took the solution one step further on Tuesday by announcing they would replace the overheating devices.
An Apple spokesperson said that they have been working closely with Japan’s METI in an effort to properly inform customers about the battery replacement. METI publicly stated that they felt it was “truly regrettable” that Apple waited until this week to report about 30 incidents of overheating.
Apple has declined to reveal how many first-generation iPod nanos were sold in Japan, nor on the country’s slap on the wrist from METI. The issue has been ongoing, with reports of iPod batteries catching fire last year and the Japanese trade ministry declaring the first-generation iPod nano as a fire hazard just a few months ago.
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