APPLE laptops bought in Singapore are among the 1.8 million affected by the Cupertino-based company's latest battery recall.

Of the 1.8 million Sony-manufactured batteries that Apple is taking back, 700,000 were sold to customers outside the United States. The company did not give a breakdown of which countries were affected.

Apple said the lithium-ion batteries did not meet its standards for safety and performance, and were prone to overheating.

Apple Singapore declined to say how many users here are affected when contacted by The Straits Times.

In 2004 and last year, the company sold 24,000 laptop computers here, according to figures from research firm IDC.

The battery recall affects the Apple iBook G4 and PowerBook G4 laptops sold worldwide between October 2003 and this month.

A dedicated website (http://www.apple.com/ support/batteryexchange/2006/faq/) listing the model and serial numbers of machines with the faulty batteries has been set up.

Singapore users can order replacement batteries through Apple's authorised service providers here, with delivery coming in four to six weeks. A list of providers can be found at http://www.asia.apple.com/buy/locator/ svcindex.html

Apple advises customers to stop using the affected batteries, and connect the laptops to a power socket instead.