Target just recalled 90,000 of its self-branded iPhone chargers over reports of them smoking, sparking, and igniting
- Target has recalled its "Heyday" iPhone Lightning chargers because they may pose a fire and shock hazard.
- The company has received 14 reports of the cables smoking, sparking, or igniting, according to the United States Product Safety Commission.
- Safety concerns over iPhone chargers have emerged in the past, but such instances have typically been limited to non-Apple-certified counterfeit chargers.
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Target has recalled its "Heyday" iPhone chargers after the company has received 14 reports of the cables smoking, sparking, or igniting, according to the United States Product Safety Commission. Two of those reports involved finger burn injuries.
The 3-foot Lightning cable can pose a shock and fire hazard because the metal around the cord can become electrically charged if it touches the USB wall charger plug prongs, the agency says in its recall notice. The recall was issued on May 29 and impacts 90,000 units.
The CPSC is urging consumers to immediately stop using the product and return it to Target for a full refund.
It's not the first time iPhone chargers have posed a safety risk to consumers. But previous cases have occurred for people using inexpensive counterfeit chargers not sold or certified by Apple. Over the past several years, several reports of iPhones overheating after using non-Apple-certified chargers have emerged, one example coming from a woman named Katie Skerchock, who told ABC News in 2016 that she heard "an explosion" when unplugging her iPhone.
Chargers that are Apple-certified have a protective chip that protects your device from getting too hot, as ABC's Good Morning America reported last year. Apple even filed a lawsuit against Mobile Star in 2016, a company that sold counterfeit chargers that it had claimed were real, as Patently Apple first reported.
It looks like the packaging for the recalled Heyday chargers have the "Made for iPhone and iPad" label, indicating it has been certified by Apple. But a search for Target-branded accessories in Apple's database did not return a result with the model number listed on the CPSC's website for the Heyday chargers.
Business Insider has reached out to Apple and Target for additional details and will update this story if we find out more.