Nvidia: Shield tablet battery can catch fire – update

Nvidia calls on buyers of a Shield tablet to stop using the device. Buyers will then receive a new tablet; the existing one is a fire hazard. Buyers of incendiary devices are advised not to use the tablet.

Anyone who has bought a Shield tablet since July 2014 – when the tablet came out – is requested to stop using it if his or her tablet is prone to the problem. Buyers of a Shield tablet can see from Android whether their version of the device is vulnerable: under the heading ‘battery’ in the status overview of Android you can see which version of the battery is present. If the device has a battery with type number Y01 on board, it must be handed in.

If the version of the battery is indeed vulnerable, users are requested to backup the contents of the tablet, stop using it and then contact Nvidia. The old tablet is then rendered useless as soon as the user turns on the replacement tablet. Users must update their system software to take advantage of the promotion, Nvidia points out.

Update 15:50: This article first stated that the tablet would be disabled as soon as users entered the serial number. That is not correct.