MacBook Retina: Apple recalls USB-C cables with faulty design, to be replaced free of cost

Apple has announced that it will offer free replacements for charging cables for MacBooks with 12-inch Retina display shipped through June 2015 as some of them have not been working correctly "due to a design issue". The USB-C cable that came bundled with the 2015 Retina MacBook may not be charging, or charging unreliably when connected to a power adapter.

The company notified on its support page that it will provide fresh redesigned USB-C charge cables, free of charge, to all eligible customers and also cover all those who bought the Apple USB-C as a standalone accessory. The free replacement will, however, be only handed out to those who provided a valid mailing address during the product registration process or Apple Online Store purchase.

The company, which hopes to complete the replacement process by the end of February, detailed for customers on how to apply:

It also shows how to spot if your USB-C Cable is affected by the possible defect. As shown below in the images, if your cable does not have a serial number after the "Assembled in China" term, then you need to contact Apple support to get your cable replaced.

Affected cable

Corrected redesigned cable

This is the second recall for a charger-related issue by Apple in less than a month. On 28 January, the company had issued a massive recall notice for its two-pin wall plug adapters shipped with iPads, MacBooks and some older models of iPhones and iPods between 2003 and 2015 in certain regions. They were recalled as some were found to have broken down due to manufacturing defects creating risk of an electric shock.