It’s never wise to take a fire hazard lightly.
Mobile phone manufacturer OnePlus has offered to refund customers who purchased their USB-to-type-C cable after a flaw was discovered that could cause damage to the power source, potentially resulting in an electrical fire. The cable, which shipped with its OnePlus Two phone in July this year and was also sold as a standalone accessory, was not standards compliant, and a blog post by the company recommended against using it for anything other than charging its own device.
Strangely enough, OnePlus did not offer to recall or refund all cables, only those sold as a standalone accessory. True, there’s a long list to check before it becomes a hazard: the device must be fast-charge capable AND connected using the OnePlus cord AND plugged into an uncertified power source (e.g., a charger without any CE/UL labels). Even then, the risk of severe damage is low, with the chance of fire even lower. But low risk doesn’t mean no risk, and the onus falls largely on individual users to not use the cables for anything other than charging a OnePlus phone.
For a company so concerned about its reputation among consumers, it’s strangely cavalier over the potential damage the non-spec cables could cause. OnePlus is trying to build a name in the crowded smartphone market by offering a high end device at midrange prices, and is banking on reputation to enhance a byzantine buying process and a continuous dearth of available stock. The Shenzen, China based upstart prides itself on an online marketing campaign that relies largely on word-of-mouth from early adopters, coupled with artificially high demand through limited supply.
Imagine the potential damage done if people consider OnePlus’s equipment prone to fire.
Worse, the new USB-C specification was only recently introduced, and its rarity means that until it becomes ubiquitous, existing cables are likely to pull double-duty with other devices that support it, like the new Macbook. This means it’s irrelevant that the OnePlus cable works safely with the intended phone. To remember that a certain USB cord can only be used for a certain device is unrealistic—especially when it fits in at both ends. To expect the average user to understand the danger and remember this distinction is folly.
OnePlus is far from the first startup to deal with similar crises. Electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors Inc has had its own fair share, ranging from fire-prone battery packs to seatbelt crises. But the disruptive California-based carmaker has acted quickly each time, retrofitting all its cars with underbody shielding to prevent battery fires, and in the case of the seatbelt crisis, voluntarily recalling 90,000 of its vehicles to check for the issue. It might sound superficially unfair to compare a car maker with a phone maker, but both are strikingly similar. They distinguish themselves through vertical integration of manufacturing and distributing, selling directly to consumers (as opposed to using dealerships in Tesla’s case and wireless carriers in OnePlus’s). They are both new entrants to saturated markets, both rely on grassroots marketing campaigns, and both emphasize high-end technology and design.
But for Tesla, swift actions such as the voluntary recall of all cars over a single reported seatbelt flaw have helped bolster its reputation for safety. By staying one step ahead of regulations and rumors, Tesla has cemented customer satisfaction, evidenced by comments on the news articles and online forums Tesla relies on to boost awareness.
Considering the relatively cheap cost of replacing all USB cables, the limited number of OnePlus models in the wild, and the outsize importance of reputation to the phone manufacturer, a full recall begins to make more sense. Yes, it’s just a cable. The odds of serious damage or fire are slim, and generally speaking, OnePlus buyers tend to be technically oriented enough to avoid it. But for a company so invested in its image, positive opinion can just as easily turn sour. If OnePlus isn’t careful, it could be more than just faulty USB cables that go down in flames.
---6p12---
Edited 28 November 2015
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