Graphics hardware and device manufacturer NVIDIA has issued a recall of its SHIELD Tablet device, saying it has been discovered that the battery of the tablet “can overheat, posing a fire hazard.” That’s pretty bad news for those who have been enjoying the high-end, high-spec tablet known for its great performance.
NVIDIA says that the issue is present in SHIELD Tablets bought from July 2014 to July 2015. That’s a pretty big swath of time and products right there. It’s recommended that owners of these devices stop using their tablets, if they bought their tablets around this time period, other than for backing up their data.
To be specific, you can go into the Settings menu of the tablet, then go into “About tablet” then “Status,” and finally into the “Battery” section. If you see your battery code with “B01,” it means you have the newer batteries and the device is safe to use. If your battery code has “Y01,” it means you have to stop using the device and send it back in to NVIDIA.
The company has promised to give people replacement tablets for those SHIELD Tablet owners affected by the recall. You can fill out this online form to receive your replacement tablet. Just make sure you’ve backed up your data on the tablet.
SOURCE: NVIDIA
As someone who used the nVidia Tegra Note, this is really saddening. nVidia has one of the best track records in terms of OS upgrades, and the only tablet maker with the foresight to have front facing speakers. If people didn’t want a Nexus device, I used to blindly remmend a Moto for phones, and Shield for tablets.