MagSafe sparks on MacBook Pro – with video

Apple has heralded its MagSafe power adaptor as a great improvement over the regular connector design used by all other companies, but one Expert Reviews reader has his concerns about the system.

Writing in, Jake Elsley told us about his friend’s MacBook Pro (2011) and the issue with the MagSafe adaptor.

“My friend was using his Macbook Pro (2011) at his table when the MacBook Pro stopped charging, and in an attempt to fix the fault, he unplugged it and plugged it back in,” said Elsley. “Upon attaching the MagSafe charger to the MacBook Pro he received an electric shock.”

This can be seen in the video below of the MacBook Pro. At 12 seconds you can see clear sparks as the MagSafe adaptor makes contact with the case. It would appear as though some of the pins in the connector are being shorted, as the plug isn’t going in square.

As the sparks occur, the laptop powers off and will not charge when the MagSafe adaptor is plugged in again; however, the video shows that plugging the MagSafe connector into a regular MacBook charges that device and the status LED on the plug lights up.

Apple has already had to create an Apple Adaptor Replacement Program for adaptors that show signs of “strain relief” where the power cable separates from the end of the MagSafe connector.

This issue appears to be something different, as the MagSafe connector in the video exhibits no signs of “strain relief”. We’ve contacted Apple to find out what the issue is and are waiting for an official response.