Last Friday, Apple launched a worldwide replacement program for faulty USB-C charge cables produced from April to June of 2015 and sold either as a standalone product or alongside the 12-inch Retina MacBook.
At that time, Apple said it would automatically ship new replacement cables out to customers who supplied a valid mailing address when purchasing or registering their products, and as of today, customers have started receiving new USB-C cables. As shared on reddit, MacBook owner iPhonedo received a package from Apple that included a new USB-C cable and a letter explaining the USB-C cable replacement program.
A fedex package was left by my door today. And inside of it, there was a new USB-C cable from Apple. Along with a letter that says some cables may be faulty. Referring to the USB-C Cable replacement program. This is very nice because it saved me from getting a Genius Bar reservation and a trip to the Apple store.
According to Apple, the first USB-C charge cables sold alongside the Retina MacBook can potentially fail due to a design issue. When used, these affected cables may cause the MacBook not to charge or to charge only intermittently when connected to a power adapter. Affected cables 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.
MacBook owners and customers who purchased a standalone USB-C charging cable can expect to begin receiving their replacement cables directly from Apple starting this week. Customers who believe they are eligible for a replacement but have not received a replacement cable or want to check on their status can contact Apple Support or visit the Genius Bar at an Apple retail store.
Apple launched the Retina MacBook in April of 2015, so problematic cables were sold for approximately two months before Apple introduced a redesigned version. Apple will replace affected USB-C charge cables until June 8, 2018.
Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28.
The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
Monday December 15, 2025 3:05 pm PST by Juli Clover
Software from an iPhone prototype running an early build of iOS 26 leaked last week, giving us a glimpse at future Apple devices and iOS features. We recapped device codenames in our prior article, and now we have a list of some of the most notable feature flags that were found in the software code.
In some cases, it's obvious what the feature flags are referring to, while some are more...
Monday December 15, 2025 2:05 pm PST by Juli Clover
Last week, details about unreleased Apple devices and future iOS features were shared by Macworld. This week, we learned where the information came from, plus we have more findings from the leak.
As it turns out, an Apple prototype device running an early build of iOS 26 was sold, and the person who bought it shared the software. The OS has a version number of 23A5234w, and the first...
The first foldable iPhone will feature a series of design and hardware firsts for Apple, according to details shared by the Weibo leaker known as Digital Chat Station.
According to a new post, via machine translation, Apple is developing what the leaker describes as a "wide foldable" device, a term used to refer to a horizontally oriented, book-style foldable with a large internal display....
Monday December 15, 2025 4:23 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple is testing iOS 26.3, the next version of iOS 26 that will launch around January. Since iOS 26.3's testing is happening over the holidays, it is a smaller update with fewer features than we've seen in prior betas.
We've rounded up what's new so far, and we'll add to our list with subsequent betas if we come across any other features.
Transfer to Android
Apple is making it simpler...
Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. iOS 26.2 is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation iPhone SE.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon.
Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week.
iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
Monday December 15, 2025 7:41 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple released the AirPods Max on December 15, 2020, meaning the over-ear headphones launched five years ago today. While the AirPods Max were updated with a USB-C port and new color options last year, followed by support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio this year, the headphones lack some of the features that have been introduced for newer generations of the regular AirPods and the ...
I love how Apple is handling this. No big loud recalls, just quietly distributing replacement cables and asking customers to get in touch with them otherwise.
Where is the apology in the letter? Is it really too hard to demonstrate respect for customers by showing contrition?
Where is the 5$ goodwill gift into owner's iTunes accounts? Is it really too expensive to demonstrate contrition and compensate for inconveniencing customers?
As written elsewhere in the site, as a family of Apple fans, users and shareholders, I can't believe how tin-eared and amateur Apple's recall management is.
Apple's recent recalls have been so poorly managed, that they seem as to have been designed by the legal department to satisfy minimal legal requirements as opposed to ensure tracibility, completion rate, customer safety, customer satisfaction and to build a reputation for mythic customer support.
You want compensation for being incomvienced, with money, when you weren't inconvenienced. Let alone you want a gift? LOL!
Where is the apology in the letter? Is it really too hard to demonstrate respect for customers by showing contrition?
Where is the 5$ goodwill gift into owner's iTunes accounts? Is it really too expensive to demonstrate contrition and compensate for inconveniencing customers?
As written elsewhere in the site, as a family of Apple fans, users and shareholders, I can't believe how tin-eared and amateur Apple's recall management is.
Apple's recent recalls have been so poorly managed, that they seem as to have been designed by the legal department to satisfy minimal legal requirements as opposed to ensure tracibility, completion rate, customer safety, customer satisfaction and to build a reputation for mythic customer support.
Apple is automatically shipping one out to you for free- they arent even forcing you to bring the cable into a store. Most companies don't give you a "goodwill" gift, and when they do, its only normally because they meesed up while trying to fix the problem. To me, it seems like an average or even above average replacement service.
Apple's expensive cables have been poorly designed for a long time now. I can think of a number of equally-priced/cheaper alternatives that'll give you far superior longevity. I can honestly say that I am never surprised when my Apple-provided cables fail me, so long as it isn't my MBP's power adapter. That's the only one you can't legitimately buy from third-parties... Luckily, I've only had issues with that once!
As noted in my previous critique, this is one more aspect of Apple's incompetence in conducting a watertight recall campaign. Apple likely has the most comprehensive customer contact database of any company on earth given devices connect to iCloud and iCloud is connected to the owner's email address.
In the case of 20W charger adaptor switch an electrocution risk, Apple didn't leverage this database, it didn't pop up a message box on users devices with instructions on how to do/request an exchange, it merely did a press release and put a link in its website.
If you moved, you can request one from Apple. There's no safety concern with the cable, the defective ones simply charge intermittently. If someone has a defective cable, their first impulse would be to contact Apple or research the problem. In both cases they'd find out about the replacement program. The cables they are mailing are done out of convenience, not necessity. Most companies do absolutely nothing to inform their customers of stuff like this. You mistake your own entitlement for a fault of Apple's. Could they handle this differently? Sure, but there's nothing inherently wrong with this route.
PS: There were 12 cases of electrical shock total in the adaptor recall you mentioned, it was largely precautionary. Furthermore, guess what a press release is for? The press. Who then inform the public, that's their job. Your "pop-up" solution would ignore anyone who bought a used device, or require Apple to keep a lot more user data on people than they actually do.
