SAN FRANCISCO (NYTIMES) – Fitbit, the Google-owned maker of well being monitoring wearables, is voluntarily recalling its Ionic smartwatch after greater than 100 studies of burn accidents attributable to an overheating battery, america’ Shopper Product Security Fee mentioned on Wednesday (March 2).
About one million of the units, which observe exercise, coronary heart charge and sleep, had been offered within the US from September 2017 via December 2021, with an extra 693,000 offered internationally.
Fitbit acquired not less than 174 studies of the lithium-ion battery’s overheating, resulting in 118 reported accidents, together with two circumstances of third-degree burns and 4 of second-degree burns, based on the fee.
House owners will likely be refunded US$299 (S$406) after returning their Ionic watch and can obtain a reduction code for chosen Fitbit units, the fee mentioned.
A Fitbit consultant famous that the harm studies represented fewer than 0.01 per cent of all Ionic watches offered, and mentioned the recall didn’t have an effect on different Fitbit merchandise.
In 2014, Fitbit recalled multiple million of its Drive wristbands after clients complained of extreme pores and skin irritation.
The corporate averted a recall of its Flex wristbands later that 12 months, after related complaints, by including an allergy warning about nickel and a sizing guideline to forestall customers from carrying the wristbands too tightly.
In keeping with Fitbit neighborhood boards, customers have been reporting points with overheating Ionic watches since not less than 2019.
Google acquired Fitbit for US$2.1 billion in early 2021, after agreeing to not use the well being and wellness information that Fitbit created to focus on advertisements at Web customers.
