RECALL NOTICE: iPod Nano, 1st gen

[Gary7]

I searched the forum and didn't see anyone post about it, so I figured I might as well on the odd chance anyone here has a 1st generation iPod Nano.

In December of 2011, Apple issued a recall notice for the 1st generation iPod Nano. The problem is that there were some faulty batteries installed that over time can start to overheat and either explode or cause a fire. Visit the Apple website [LINK] for further details. Not all iPod Nano 1st gen units are valid for the program. You submit your serial number on the website and it'll let you know if it is included in the recall.

The cost to send in your iPod is free. They mail you a small padded envelope with a prepaid Fedex shipping label. Originally they were simply issuing customers refurbished iPods of the same specification (2Gb or 4Gb). But it didn't take long for those to become exhausted. It was apparently deemed too expensive for Apple to take used iPods and staff a refurbishing crew to restore them. Instead, they are now sending in return a 6th generation Nano (8Gb).


An alternative to doing this is to buy a new battery and install it yourself. They are widely available on the cheap through eBay, but you have to use a soldering iron to detach the old battery and install the new one. Why keep your old one? Well, the 6th generation is a radically different model. Some people don't like the absence of the click wheel and the incredibly small size.

I've kept my iPod Nano 1st gen in immaculate condition, which was aided by applying a special clear skin to the entire casing. It has served me extremely well as a workout MP3 player. But I've noticed that the casing gets very warm to the touch while its charging. The battery should be replaced and I'm not about to fiddle with this very fragile device and risk breaking it. I'm amazed at how much these fetch on eBay (a mint in box one went for $200!), considering for around the same price you could get a similarly designed used 4th generation Nano. Anyway, I wouldn't want to pass on a battery problem to someone else, so I've sent mine in. Hopefully it'll be worth the "exchange."

 

[NebulaClassGuy]

Thanks for posting this. I own a 1st generation Nano (white), and so far, it works perfectly, which amazes me. I haven't had any problems with it so far, but I take meticulous care of it. It has never been out of a case, so there is quite literally not a speck of dust, scratch, nor a fingerprint anywhere on it, save the click wheel, so it's basically in new condition.

 

[Human-annoyed]

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Owain Taggart]

I have one of those; a 1GB version. Don't think I really plan on sending it in as I hardly use it in the first place.

 

[NebulaClassGuy]

Originally they were simply issuing customers refurbished iPods of the same specification (2Gb or 4Gb). But it didn't take long for those to become exhausted. It was apparently deemed too expensive for Apple to take used iPods and staff a refurbishing crew to restore them. Instead, they are now sending in return a 6th generation Nano (8Gb).

This is one of my biggest issues with Apple as a company these days... their damn arrogant laziness. God forbid they should actually repair and service an old product that they made, to produce a happy customer. No, instead, they force you to have only one option... buy an entirely new product.

My best friend had his 160GB iPod Classic damaged, and I suggested we visit the local Apple Store, and see if they could do anything, not knowing how Apple's policy worked prior to the visit. A worker came up to us with an iPad, and told my friend that the Genius Bar people wouldn't even look at his iPod, because they would not fix it. He was told he could purchase a new one. At that point, we walked out of the store.

If I want a new product, I'll buy one on my own, thank you very much, Apple. I really hate the fact that they won't even service products that are but a few years old. It's one of the primary reasons that they'll never get any of my money in the future.

 

[Gotham Central]

I'm warning everyone...Beware the 6th Gen Nano.

I personally think that Apple should be sued for false or misleading advertising. The device is marketed as being suitable for exercise/workouts, however they are not in anyway sweat resistant. I'm currently on my 3rd and I've had to change it twice this year alone. There is no case that you can buy to adequately protect it from sweat. Cliping it on to you clothes during a workout if a guaranteed way to expose it to sweat.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

This is one of my biggest issues with Apple as a company these days... their damn arrogant laziness. God forbid they should actually repair and service an old product that they made, to produce a happy customer. No, instead, they force you to have only one option... buy an entirely new product.

In this case, they're not forcing you to BUY a new iPod - they're sending out new ones for free, to replace the recalled ones.

And since the affected iPods are 1st generation nanos, and they're sending out brand new 6th-gen units in replacement, how is that a bad thing?

 

[Gary7]

No, instead, they force you to have only one option... buy an entirely new product.

Mr. Laser Beam pointed this out, but I reiterate--you get a 6th gen Nano in exchange at no cost. You can't fault Apple for doing this, as you're getting a higher tech "new" device with more memory. However, there are some design flaws with the new one.

My best friend had his 160GB iPod Classic damaged, and I suggested we visit the local Apple Store, and see if they could do anything, not knowing how Apple's policy worked prior to the visit. A worker came up to us with an iPad, and told my friend that the Genius Bar people wouldn't even look at his iPod, because they would not fix it. He was told he could purchase a new one. At that point, we walked out of the store.

My sister is on a tight budget and her iMac G5 was having a hard drive problem. When she brought it into the Apple store, the two service people looked at it like it was something from ancient history. They laughed! "Wow, an old G5! Sorry, we don't service these. Buy a new one." The G5 was actually still quite serviceable and all it needed was a new drive. A solid 160Gb drive would have cost about $80. But their incentive is to have you abandon troubled products and buy new ones.

The iPod could be easily created with a removable battery. You have simple contact points soldered into place that press up against the battery contacts. But no, they use a wired battery that is soldered directly to the circuit board. Also, iPods are troublesome to take apart. It's doable, but the problem is assembling them back together again. While this can be done, there will be gouges to the casing from prying it apart and I've also seen issues where edging does not line up flush anymore. Bottom line, they want you to buy new and go out of their way to engineer their devices towards that aim. While I applaud Apple for some of their sleek and innovative designs, I deride them for their predatory business practices.

As for the 6th generation iPod Nano, I've seen far more troubled postings about it than any other Nano from the past. GC is right, that they are not made for even the slightest water resistance. The touch screen is very fragile. You DEFINITELY need a very good quality casing for it and must avoid using it outdoors if there's any rain. I never had any issue like this with my 1st generation Nano.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I've never had any issues with my iPod. But the thought of upgrading from a 2 GB to an 8 GB would be nice since the small storage space has caused me to stop using it for the most part. Tough decision if the sixth gen is that bad, though. Oh well, who knows. Maybe I won't qualify.

 

[NebulaClassGuy]

I've never had any issues with my iPod. But the thought of upgrading from a 2 GB to an 8 GB would be nice since the small storage space has caused me to stop using it for the most part. Tough decision if the sixth gen is that bad, though. Oh well, who knows. Maybe I won't qualify.

That's true, and a valid point, Alidar Jarok, but my point is that as a customer, if something is wrong with my product, I'd like to have MY product fixed. Yes, an upgrade is nice, but as has been pointed out by Gary7, I simply prefer MY 1st generation iPod Nano, for it's superior (granted, IMO) styling, so I shouldn't have to sacrifice my beloved iPod for a model I don't want, just because Apple decides that they don't want to fix it... especially if it's something that's the subject of a recall, and not the result of any error on my end.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

That's not, nor has it ever been, how recalls work. They always do the most cost-effective option. You can fix it yourself if you want.

 

[Starbreaker]

I had one of these but it got stolen. I'm tempted to buy one and get a 6th generation one and then resell that one.

 

[RobertVA]

No, instead, they force you to have only one option... buy an entirely new product.

Mr. Laser Beam pointed this out, but I reiterate--you get a 6th gen Nano in exchange at no cost. You can't fault Apple for doing this, as you're getting a higher tech "new" device with more memory. However, there are some design flaws with the new one.

My best friend had his 160GB iPod Classic damaged, and I suggested we visit the local Apple Store, and see if they could do anything, not knowing how Apple's policy worked prior to the visit. A worker came up to us with an iPad, and told my friend that the Genius Bar people wouldn't even look at his iPod, because they would not fix it. He was told he could purchase a new one. At that point, we walked out of the store.

My sister is on a tight budget and her iMac G5 was having a hard drive problem. When she brought it into the Apple store, the two service people looked at it like it was something from ancient history. They laughed! "Wow, an old G5! Sorry, we don't service these. Buy a new one." The G5 was actually still quite serviceable and all it needed was a new drive. A solid 160Gb drive would have cost about $80. But their incentive is to have you abandon troubled products and buy new ones.

The iPod could be easily created with a removable battery. You have simple contact points soldered into place that press up against the battery contacts. But no, they use a wired battery that is soldered directly to the circuit board. Also, iPods are troublesome to take apart. It's doable, but the problem is assembling them back together again. While this can be done, there will be gouges to the casing from prying it apart and I've also seen issues where edging does not line up flush anymore. Bottom line, they want you to buy new and go out of their way to engineer their devices towards that aim. While I applaud Apple for some of their sleek and innovative designs, I deride them for their predatory business practices.

As for the 6th generation iPod Nano, I've seen far more troubled postings about it than any other Nano from the past. GC is right, that they are not made for even the slightest water resistance. The touch screen is very fragile. You DEFINITELY need a very good quality casing for it and must avoid using it outdoors if there's any rain. I never had any issue like this with my 1st generation Nano.

A removable battery cover would add to the production expense. So would the springs and plated battery contacts. Soldering the battery to the printed circuit board is probably a lot less expensive. Changing heat and static sensitive components soldered to a circuit board requires training, patience and a properly equipped facility free from the interruptions of the typical retail store floor. Since there are no servicable parts inside, even by profesionals, the added costs of an enclosure that features hardware like screws would also be unnecessary.

Don't forget that any addition to the production expense will add to the retail price, which in many cases includes a markup that is a percentage of the cost to put the product in the retailer's display case ($1.00 extra cost might result in adding about $2.00 to the retail price)

 

[Warp Coil]

I can only speak from my experience, but I love my 6th-gen nano. It's absolutely perfect as far as I'm concerned. It's tiny, lightweight and doesn't weigh my pocket down. Works great at the gym. I keep it in my pocket and I haven't had any issues with sweat damaging it.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

A removable battery cover would add to the production expense. So would the springs and plated battery contacts. Soldering the battery to the printed circuit board is probably a lot less expensive. Changing heat and static sensitive components soldered to a circuit board requires training, patience and a properly equipped facility free from the interruptions of the typical retail store floor. Since there are no servicable parts inside, even by profesionals, the added costs of an enclosure that features hardware like screws would also be unnecessary.

Don't forget that any addition to the production expense will add to the retail price, which in many cases includes a markup that is a percentage of the cost to put the product in the retailer's display case ($1.00 extra cost might result in adding about $2.00 to the retail price)

As much as these things cost, I'd gladly pay $2, $5, or even $10 more so that I could replace the battery. The landfills are full of enough junk electronics without people tossing them just because the company makes it difficult or impossible to replace the battery easily at home.

 

[RobertVA]

A removable battery cover would add to the production expense. So would the springs and plated battery contacts. Soldering the battery to the printed circuit board is probably a lot less expensive. Changing heat and static sensitive components soldered to a circuit board requires training, patience and a properly equipped facility free from the interruptions of the typical retail store floor. Since there are no servicable parts inside, even by profesionals, the added costs of an enclosure that features hardware like screws would also be unnecessary.

Don't forget that any addition to the production expense will add to the retail price, which in many cases includes a markup that is a percentage of the cost to put the product in the retailer's display case ($1.00 extra cost might result in adding about $2.00 to the retail price)

As much as these things cost, I'd gladly pay $2, $5, or even $10 more so that I could replace the battery. The landfills are full of enough junk electronics without people tossing them just because the company makes it difficult or impossible to replace the battery easily at home.

It probably wouldn't be $10.00 more. Probably more like $30.00 or $50.00 more on top of the premium price you're already paying because it's an Apple product. Plus the product might need to be larger and thicker to accommodate a battery robust enough to be handled by a consumer, a protective layer between the circuit board and the battery compartment and clips robust enough to withstand repeated opening and closing of the battery compartment.

An occasional electronic device pales by far compared to the landfill volume taken up by everyday items like food packages (many contaminated by the remnants of their former contents and non-recyclable), disposable plates, milk cartons and garbage (like chicken bones and orange peels). Protected by layers of soil and sometimes plastic film (to facilitate methane recovery) many of these items are probably taking a lot longer than you would think to decompose. I've heard of researchers finding decades old newspapers in old landfills.

 

[ALF]

I used to have one of those!

I got it in Japan when they first came out. I was pretty stoked, until a couple of years later, getting pissed in a bar with some mates I sat down on a bar stool with the Nano in my back pocket and smashed the shit out of it.

I do remember reading something about some of them being faulty and bursting into flames. This was in 2005-2006? Anyway, interesting link but that bursting into flames problem.... that's not a new thing. I guess they just made their position on the fault official or something.

 

[Gary7]

[It probably wouldn't be $10.00 more. Probably more like $30.00 or $50.00 more on top of the premium price you're already paying because it's an Apple product. Plus the product might need to be larger and thicker to accommodate a battery robust enough to be handled by a consumer, a protective layer between the circuit board and the battery compartment and clips robust enough to withstand repeated opening and closing of the battery compartment.

That cost increase is wildly speculative based on... what? Let's look at the real scenario. You have a battery that has 3 wire leads on it. The same sized battery is made with 3 metal contacts on its side instead. Apple doesn't make this, the battery company does! During manufacturing as it currently stands, the 3 battery leads must be soldered to the PC board. It's in a specific space and requires alignment of the wires and a protective adhesive tape over it. The alternative would be for Apple to attach 3 fixed contact points on the circuit board adjacent to the battery cut-out, to accommodate this different battery. It's essentially the same soldering job, 3 solder points, but a simpler overall assembly task. For Apple, it would be a wash, not MORE expensive. It's easier to do. As for the casing, there isn't any radical difference required. A slight beefing up of the friction fit design would be desirable, so that it's not as cumbersome to open/close it. But even still, remember that a battery change might have to be done once or twice during the lifetime of the device. Let's just assume Apple doesn't change the case. Again, very little increase in cost to do this.

The result? It's a relatively easy process to change the battery. An Apple store employee could do it in a matter of just a few minutes. So, battery servicing is quick, no soldering required. OTOH, if an enterprising person wishes to replace it themselves, buying the battery and installing it is not very difficult and saves them the hassle and costs of sending it off to Apple. But, Apple would rather you throw away the device and get a new one. So, why facilitate this easier battery replacement? THIS is what I find unnerving about Apple.

 

[NebulaClassGuy]

But, Apple would rather you throw away the device and get a new one. So, why facilitate this easier battery replacement? THIS is what I find unnerving about Apple.

Right... and it's also amusingly hypocritical in some ways, since many of the people who buy Apple products do so because they think they're "being green", since supposedly Apple is so environmentally conscious, yet would rather you throw away an electronic device simply because they want you to buy a brand-new one, when servicing the original device would keep it perfectly functional for quite some time to come.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ You don't have to throw away your old Apple gear (or that of any other company) even when you outgrow it. There are options for recycling old computers, cellphones, iPods, etc.