Apple recalls Beats Pill XL speaker due to fire hazard, offers refunds
Apple on Wednesday announced a voluntary recall of its Beats Pill XL speaker, warning that in some cases the battery in the speaker can overheat and cause a risk of fire.
The company has launched a support page for the recall, and asked that people stop using the Pill XL immediately. In compensation the company is offering a refund, whether in the form of Apple Store credit or an electronic transfer of $325.
Affected people must submit a return request via a Web form, after which the company will mail a prepaid shipping box. Only once the defective speaker is received will Apple issue the refund, which it promises within three weeks.
Owners cannot take a speaker into an Apple Store or any other retailer that sells or supports Beats products.
The Pill XL first went on sale in January 2014. Apple would only buy Beats in May of that year for $3 billion, inheriting both Beats' headphone and speaker lineup and Beats Music, an online streaming service.
The company has launched a support page for the recall, and asked that people stop using the Pill XL immediately. In compensation the company is offering a refund, whether in the form of Apple Store credit or an electronic transfer of $325.
Affected people must submit a return request via a Web form, after which the company will mail a prepaid shipping box. Only once the defective speaker is received will Apple issue the refund, which it promises within three weeks.
Owners cannot take a speaker into an Apple Store or any other retailer that sells or supports Beats products.
The Pill XL first went on sale in January 2014. Apple would only buy Beats in May of that year for $3 billion, inheriting both Beats' headphone and speaker lineup and Beats Music, an online streaming service.
Comments
Cue the anti-Beats drumbeats.....
Apple was going after the streaming service and the customers Beats can bring.
Apple got out of the audio product line twice. Hard to say if this is an attempt to get back in or not, but if they aren't planning on absorbing the beats product brand fully, then they should spin it off sooner rather than later, and just keep the streaming service. Isn't the rumor that they will eventually fold Beats into iTunes once they get around to fixing iTunes? If so, maybe they will divest the entire Beats brand at that point once they've stripped everything they wanted from it, which was essentially the streaming customer base, and sell the manufacturing business, but not the streaming service rights. In the meantime they hold on to everything for better or worse?
222,000 units in the field (according to WSJ). If only 80% of those were returned for a cash refund of $325, that would wind up costing Apple about $57MM. Even for Apple, that's not pocket change. Considering these only went on sale a little over a year ago, there's little chance these will have found there way to the trash can yet.
I hope the purchase of Beats turns out to be worth it. Seems like Cook may not have quite absorbed Beats manufacturing fully into the Apple way of doing things just yet. I wonder who makes the battery, and just where the problem occurs ...?
went on sale Jan 2014
apple bought beats May 2014.
apple didn't have anything to do with it.
Even though they've made about 1/3 of the price back already.
Apple got out of the audio product line twice.
Apple never got out of the headphone market. And they were never in the portable speaker market. And they never got out of the interface to hifi system market.
Seems like Cook may not have quite absorbed Beats manufacturing
This was definitely not "manufactured" by Beats. Beats probably did the acoustics and styling, but I bet that the electronics were done by a Taiwanese ODM, then manufactured by an EMS in China like Foxconn. Nothing to "absorb", it's the model every consumer electronics company, including Apple, does.
And they were never in the portable speaker market.
Apple iPod Hi-Fi from February 2007 to September 2008.
BeatGate
Apple iPod Hi-Fi from February 2007 to September 2008.
That was a home dock/boombox. You couldn't carry it in your pocket or even backpack. Completely different product than this thing or the Jawbone Jambox.
That was a home dock/boombox. You couldn't carry it in your pocket or even backpack. Completely different product than this thing or the Jawbone Jambox.
The word "portable" is an adjective that is defined as "capable of being transported or conveyed". The iPod Hi-Fi was not a permanently-installed device and could be unplugged and moved to a different location; therefore, it is considered portable.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/portable?s=t
The word "speaker" is a noun that is defined as "an electroacoustic device, often housed in a cabinet, that is connected as a component in an audio system, its function being to make speech or music audible".
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/speaker?s=t
Based on these definitions, the Apple iPod Hi-Fi was indeed a portable speaker.
I still feel that Apple should have avoided buying this company for the amount that they paid.
Beats Music hasn't exactly taken off yet. How many subscribers do they have again? 37? There were some lawsuits a while back weren't there, have those been settled yet? There will probably be more lawsuits in the future too.
And now a complete recall of a particular product?
I've always felt that the Apple brand carries far more weight than the "Beats" brand, and I believe that it was uneccessary for Apple to bring that brand into the Apple family.
I also feel that Iovine and Dre have yet to prove their worth at Apple, because what have they accomplished or done, since being at Apple? And yes, I expect a lot, because they got paid billions.
went on sale Jan 2014
apple bought beats May 2014.
apple didn't have anything to do with it.
I never said they did. However, the buck stops with Apple. Their company, their responsibility. And as I stated, clearly they haven't streamlined Beats manufacturing to the level they have their own products.
Apple never got out of the headphone market. And they were never in the portable speaker market. And they never got out of the interface to hifi system market. This was definitely not "manufactured" by Beats. Beats probably did the acoustics and styling, but I bet that the electronics were done by a Taiwanese ODM, then manufactured by an EMS in China like Foxconn. Nothing to "absorb", it's the model every consumer electronics company, including Apple, does.
Whether or not their business model is just like Apple's once the designs leave the country ... Apple has much tighter control of both the supply chain and manufacturing standards. Just because Beat's sources their manufacturing to Taiwan and China, doesn't mean it's controlled the same way Apple does.
As for what audio products Apple still manufactures ... I don't consider their earbuds on the same level as even Beats headphones. They've never made "real" headphones. And Apple absolutely made portable speakers, both in the 90s (the AppleDesign Powered Speakers) and again in the 2000s, or have you forgotten the iPod HiFi? And I'm not following the "interface to hifi system", do you mean the ?TV and Airport Express? Not sure how that's relevant since there's no sound reproducing components in them.
Why only a partial refund?
i think it's very nice for Apple to offer a full refund to the customers. Any information regarding this matter would be appreciated thank you...