Apple Has Recalled A Beats Speaker

Apple launched a worldwide voluntary recall Wednesday after the company discovered the batteries of its Beats Pill XL speaker systems may become overheated, posing a fire safety risk for users. "Customer safety is always a top priority at both Apple and Beats," Apple said on its company website. Although Apple described these cases as "rare," the company is still taking precaution, urging consumers to return the product immediately.

Worried that the speaker systems may pose "a fire safety risk," Apple wants all Beats Pill XL owners to stop using the device immediately. The company added on its website:

[P]lease stop using [the Beats Pill XL speaker] and follow the process below to send it to Apple. In exchange, we will provide you with an Apple Store credit or electronic payment in the amount of $325 USD or approximate equivalent in local currency.

The affected Beats product is the Pill XL Speaker system, which was first introduced by Beats by Dre in November 2013 and has been on the global market since January 2014. Apple didn't acquire Beats by Dre until May 2014, and had no hand in developing the speaker-system technology.

More than 220,000 Pill XL speakers have been sold in the United States alone, with another 11,000 units sold in Canada, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The wireless Beats speakers come in five colors: black, white, pink, metallic sky, and titanium. Both Apple and the CPSC have said the recall affects each color.

So far, Apple has received just eight reported incidences of the Beats Pill XL speakers overheating, resulting in damage or minor injuries. The CPSC said one consumer suffered a burn to the finger, and another speaker system damaged a consumer's desk.

Consumers can return their speakers by first filling out a recall form on the Apple website. The company will then provide consumers with paid postage, and will reward Beats owners with either store credit or electronic payment within three weeks of the return.

This isn't the first time Apple has had to recall a product. In 2011, the tech giant recalled Verizon iPad2 tablets because of connectivity issues; however, it was an "extremely small" recall, Apple officials said at the time.

Apple also has had some battery issues in the past — though none of the problems were safety risks. Last year, the tech company offered some iPhone 5 users free battery replacements after learning that some devices "may suddenly experience shorter battery life or need to be charged more frequently," Apple said at the time. The company set up an iPhone battery replacement program specifically for iPhone 5 users.

Images: Apple