Apple recalls MacBook Pro units over battery fire risk

San Francisco: Apple has recalled a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units which contain a battery that may overheat and pose a safety risk.

The units with Retina display were sold primarily between September 2015 and February 2017 and can be identified by their product serial number.

Customers can get an affected 15-inch MacBook Pro battery replaced free of charge, Apple said in a statement on Thursday.

The recall does not affect any other 15-inch MacBook Pro units or other Mac notebooks.

"Apple is asking customers to stop using affected 15-inch MacBook Pro units. Customers should visit apple.com/support/15-inch-macbook-pro-battery-recall for details on product eligibility and how to have a battery replaced, free of charge," said the company.

Apple issued a similar replacement programme last year for newer 13-inch Pros over issues related to battery expansion.

According to Apple famed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the tech giant would release an "all-new" 16-inch MacBook Pro later this year.

Battery issues are not uncommon and Samsung had to recall its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in 2017 owing to batteries catching fire.