Apple recalls Beats speakers due to fire risk

Beats Audio equipment is arranged for a photo next to an Apple laptop at Best Buy in Boston, Friday, May 9, 2014. Apple, which bought Beats in 2014 for $3 billion, is recalling thousands of Beats Pill XL speakers amid fears that overheating batteries could spark a fire. AP

SAN FRANCISCO, United States – Apple on Wednesday announced it is recalling Beats Pill XL wireless speakers because of danger batteries might get so hot they ignite in flames.

“Apple has determined that, in rare cases, the battery in Beats Pill XL may overheat and pose a fire safety risk,” the California-based owner of Beats said in a release.

Apple received eight reports of the Beats Pill XL speakers overheating, one incident involved someone’s finger getting burned and another involved damage to a desk, according to a recall advisory posted by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

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Apple asked people to stop using Beats Pill XL speakers and promised refunds of $325 each.

The commission estimated about 222,000 of the speakers were sold in the United States and another 11,000 in Canada. No other Beats or Apple products are affected by the recall, the Silicon Valley-based company said.

Beats by Dre introduced Beats Pill XL portable speakers in late 2013, about seven months before the company was bought by Apple in a deal valued at $3 billion.