Incident: Apple MacBook Pro Battery Expansion Issue - Free Replacement Offer

Published Date: 2018-04-20

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident of component failure in a limited number of MacBook Pros causing built-in battery expansion happened between October 2016 and October 2017 as per the article [71006]. Therefore, the estimated timeline for the software failure incident would be between October 2016 and October 2017.
System 1. Battery component in a limited number of 13-inch MacBook Pros without touch bars [71006].
Responsible Organization 1. Component failure in a limited number of MacBook Pros caused the built-in battery to expand, leading to the software failure incident [Article 71006].
Impacted Organization 1. MacBook Pros without touch bars users [71006]
Software Causes 1. The software cause of the failure incident in the MacBook Pros was a component failure leading to the built-in battery expanding, as reported by Apple [71006].
Non-software Causes 1. Component failure in a limited number of MacBook Pros causing the built-in battery to expand [71006] 2. Aging batteries in iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, and iPhone SE models leading to performance slowdown [71006]
Impacts 1. The software failure incident in a limited number of MacBook Pros caused the built-in battery to expand, leading to a component failure [71006]. 2. Apple offered worldwide free replacement for the affected batteries, indicating a financial impact on the company [71006]. 3. The incident did not pose a safety issue, but it affected the user experience and trust in Apple products [71006].
Preventions 1. Regular software testing and quality assurance procedures during the development phase could have potentially identified any issues related to the software that deals with battery management in MacBook Pros [71006]. 2. Implementing proactive monitoring systems that can detect anomalies or failures in the software that manages battery performance could have helped in identifying the issue before it caused battery expansion in MacBook Pros [71006].
Fixes 1. The software failure incident of battery expansion in a limited number of MacBook Pros could be fixed by offering worldwide free replacement for the affected batteries [71006].
References 1. Apple Inc press release [71006]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization (a) The software failure incident related to Apple Inc. has happened again within the same organization. In December, Apple confirmed a software issue with aging batteries in iPhone models that could slow down performance, leading to a public outcry. This incident was followed by the recent component failure in some MacBook Pros causing the built-in battery to expand, prompting Apple to offer free replacements [71006].
Phase (Design/Operation) operation (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is not explicitly mentioned in the provided article. Therefore, it is unknown whether the MacBook Pro battery expansion issue was caused by contributing factors introduced during system development, system updates, or procedures to operate or maintain the system. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is evident in the article. The article mentions that the battery expansion issue in some MacBook Pros was caused by a component failure, leading to the built-in battery expanding. This indicates that the failure was due to contributing factors introduced by the operation or misuse of the system [71006].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) The software failure incident reported in Article 71006 is within_system. The article mentions that the issue with the MacBook Pros was due to a component failure causing the built-in battery to expand. This indicates an internal hardware issue within the MacBook Pros themselves, leading to the failure. Additionally, the article highlights that the affected units were manufactured between October 2016 and October 2017, further emphasizing an internal system-related problem [71006].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions (a) The software failure incident related to non-human_actions: The article mentions a component failure in a limited number of MacBook Pros causing the built-in battery to expand, which is identified as the reason for the software failure incident. This issue is attributed to a non-human factor, specifically a component failure [71006]. (b) The software failure incident related to human_actions: The article does not mention any contributing factors introduced by human actions that led to the software failure incident. Therefore, there is no information provided regarding human actions as a cause of the failure [71006].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware (a) The software failure incident in the article is related to hardware. Apple Inc reported that a component failure in a limited number of MacBook Pros caused the built-in battery to expand, leading to the need for worldwide free replacement of such batteries. This indicates that the failure originated in the hardware components of the MacBook Pros [71006]. (b) The article does not mention any software-related contributing factors that led to the failure incident.
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident mentioned in the article is non-malicious. It was caused by a component failure in a limited number of MacBook Pros, leading to the built-in battery expanding. Apple stated that it will offer worldwide free replacement for such batteries affected by the flaw, indicating a response to a technical issue rather than a malicious attack [71006].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) unknown The software failure incident reported in Article 71006 does not directly relate to poor decisions or accidental decisions. The incident mentioned in the article is related to a hardware component failure in a limited number of MacBook Pros causing the built-in battery to expand, leading to Apple offering free replacements for affected batteries.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) accidental (a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is not mentioned in the provided article [71006]. (b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is evident in the article [71006] where Apple Inc. reported a component failure in a limited number of MacBook Pros that caused the built-in battery to expand. This issue was not considered a safety concern, indicating that the failure was accidental rather than intentionally introduced.
Duration temporary The software failure incident mentioned in Article 71006 is related to a hardware component failure in a limited number of MacBook Pros causing the built-in battery to expand. This issue is not a safety concern, and Apple has announced a worldwide free replacement program for the affected batteries. The affected units were manufactured between October 2016 and October 2017. This incident does not indicate a permanent software failure but rather a temporary issue caused by the specific circumstances of component failure in the MacBook Pros [71006].
Behaviour other (a) crash: The software failure incident in the article is not related to a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. The issue with the MacBook Pros' batteries expanding is not causing the system to crash. (b) omission: The software failure incident is not due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). The issue with the MacBook Pros' batteries expanding is not related to the system omitting any functions. (c) timing: The software failure incident is not due to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The issue with the MacBook Pros' batteries expanding is not related to timing issues. (d) value: The software failure incident is not due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The issue with the MacBook Pros' batteries expanding is not related to the system performing functions incorrectly. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not related to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The issue with the MacBook Pros' batteries expanding is not exhibiting inconsistent behavior. (f) other: The software failure incident in the article is related to a hardware component failure in a limited number of MacBook Pros causing the built-in battery to expand. This issue is not directly related to software behavior but rather a hardware flaw.

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property The consequence of the software failure incident in the reported article [71006] was related to property. The software failure caused a component failure in a limited number of MacBook Pros, leading to the built-in battery expanding. As a result, Apple announced a worldwide free replacement program for the affected batteries. This incident impacted people's material goods (MacBook Pros) due to the software failure.
Domain information (a) The software failure incident reported in Article 71006 is related to the technology industry, specifically affecting Apple MacBook Pros. The incident involved a component failure causing the built-in battery to expand in a limited number of MacBook Pros manufactured between October 2016 and October 2017 [71006]. This incident highlights a flaw in the MacBook Pros without touch bars, which are primarily used for information-related tasks such as data processing, content creation, and communication.

Sources

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