Uh oh, those Gen 1 nano batteries ARE bad

Cleve Nettles
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August 19, 2008
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OK, we gave Consumerist guy a bit of sass when he said his iPod Nano blew up and almost burned his neighborhood down.  Turns out he might have had something there.  Apple today admitted that a very small percentage of Gen 1 nanos might have a defective battery:

 "Apple has determined that in very rare cases batteries in first generation iPod nanos sold between September 2005 and December 2006 can overheat causing failure and deformation of the iPod nano. Apple has received very few reports of such incidents (less than 0.001 percent of first generation iPod nano units), which have been traced back to a single battery supplier. There have been no reports of serious injuries or property damage, and no reports of incidents for any other iPod nano model.

Any first generation iPod nano customers who have experienced their battery overheating should contact AppleCare for a replacement. Any other customers who have concerns about their first generation iPod nano battery should also contact AppleCare."

We wonder if they will give out the rainbow Nanos as replacement?

Comments (4)

fairburn (not verified) | August 19, 2008 - 3:57pm

Now if you would only treat the stories of the iPhone's poor 3G reception seriously.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 19, 2008 - 6:25pm

How is it that EVERY problem Apple has is only happening to 2% of the buyers? It seems odd.

Of course, 100% perfection is equally unlikely.

Here's an idea: create a frickin' case that is easily open-able and uses regular AAA rechargeable batteries.

Apple seems to think that smaller is always better. It isn't, it's just smaller. Better is when the buyer is not locked in, the item is easily fixed and upgradeable, lacks DRM, works with other music sources, price is lower, etc. (And, of course, does not catch on fire, burn your lap, etc.)

The iPod is a POS compared to what it could be.

Vaganza (not verified) | August 19, 2008 - 8:07pm

If Apple did exactly what you say, they would be ridiculed by its own users for not advancing the technology. We are currently entering a revolution in battery technology, not just for small gadgets, but all things. With the current energy concerns, development of new batteries for use in nearly everything from cars to even use in powering your house. Apple has narrowed it down to a specific run of batteries from one specific manufacturer, we are looking a a maximum failure rate of 0.001%, go buy a lottery ticket, your chances are better. Take a look at how many fires have been started by rechargeable AAA, you may be surprised.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 19, 2008 - 7:24pm

I gave his story a "sass" not because it happened to the guy, but because he claimed that his first step was to call Apple tech support instead of the fire department. He was concerned that he was put on hold for several minutes while the thing was burning.

This guy is either disingenuous or very stupid. Either he felt safe and was not concerned about his or his property's safety, or he was stupid enough to call a tech support hotline in god-knows-where instead of dialing his local emergency services.

And that's why the guy deserves to be crapped upon. Sure, we all know that lithium batteries have failed in dramatic ways - they do store quite a lot of energy. But he called tech support, not 911, and therefore he should expect to be put on hold.

Here's a lesson for him and everyone else: Concerned about your safety due to an incident? Call 911, not tech support.