A woman looks at the screen of her mobile phone in front of an Apple logo outside its store in downtown Shanghai September 10, 2013.
A woman looks at the screen of her mobile phone in front of an Apple logo outside its store in downtown Shanghai September 10, 2013. Reuters

Last Friday, Apple declared publicly that the company has launched a new program, which invites iPhone users to get a replacement of their iPhone chargers that are deemed to be faulty. This invite is applicable for iPhone users belonging to 37 different countries across the globe.

Apple's website reported that the company has identified a specific iPhone charger model to be prone to overheating and thereby, posing a safety risk to the user. The company was quick to point out that the incidents pertaining to overheating are not quite prevalent. Nevertheless, Apple decided to fix the issue by providing an exchange program to switch faulty charger models for the newer models.

It is worth noting that, the chargers that are being shipped with the newer iPhone models are not affected by this overheating issue. The model that is most affected is "A1300" chargers. This charger is shipped with the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. The aforementioned devices purchased between October 2009 and September 2012 pose potential risk.

How to identify the affected charger?

According to Apple, an affected adapter/charger will have the model number "A1300" engraved on the back of the charger. In addition, the letters "CE" on the back of the charger will be in "solid gray" colour. The new/redesigned chargers will have a model number "A1400" and the letters "CE" will only be outlined in gray. Users with A1400 model of charger need not opt for the exchange program.

In the meantime, users with the affected adapter should discontinue the use of the charger until a replacement is received. However, they can charge the iPhone by connecting it to the computer/laptop via a USB cable.

How to exchange?

The faulty charger should be brought to any Apple Retail Store or Authorized Service Provider. In order for the retail outlet to verify the iPhone serial number, the iPhone should also be brought along with the charger.

- Users can get an appointment from Apple Retail Store by clicking here.

- In order to find the Apple Authorized Service Provider click here.

List of countries affected

Here is a list of countries with the faulty charger Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and Vietnam.

Is your country part of the list? Have you opted for the exchange program yet? Feel free to leave a comment.