Even though humans are by far the most intelligent species our world has ever seen, we are not essentially perfect. In fact, this has been proven factual on many occasions, and during few notable events, the said reality checks have come in the most brutal form. Hence, to protect itself under such circumstances, the world would conjure up certain tools along the way. While each of these tools played their part in moving the needle for us, none were really as impactful as technology. You see, ever since arriving on the scene, technology has pulled all stops to deliver the right goods at our disposal. By doing so, it ushered us into an era, which revolved largely around cutting-edge systems, and of course, unprecedented results. Now, if we talk about tech-driven results, we’ll be touching upon a very broad subject, because after all, the creation has really managed to make a difference in every possible area within our spectrum. However, despite the far-reaching success, technology still hasn’t guided us towards that desired perfection. Instead, like us, this ingenious creation also continues to struggle against its own shortcomings, and the said reality was clearly evident in Fitbit’s latest decision.
According to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Google-owned Fitbit is formally recalling over 1.7 million smartwatches due to growing concerns regarding a burn hazard. The recall is for the company’s Ionic smartwatches that are apparently suffering from overheating of batteries, and therefore, causing serious skin burns. So far, Fitbit has received more than 115 complaints from US customers in relation to the stated issue. Nearly 78 complaints talk to significant burns caused by the watch, whereas four reports are notably of second-degree burns and two put-forth a third-degree burn situation. Apart from a million devices sold in the US, the recall involves another 700,000 watches sold internationally.
“Customer safety is always Fitbit’s top priority and out of an abundance of caution, we are conducting a voluntary recall of Fitbit Ionic smartwatches,” said Andrea Holing, a Google Spokesperson. “These incidents are very rare and this voluntary recall does not impact other Fitbit smartwatches or trackers.”
At present, both Fitbit and CPSC have urged the customers to stop using their Ionic smartwatches immediately. Furthermore, in a bid to expedite the recall, Fitbit is also offering a flat refund of $299, alongside a discount code worth 40% for some selected Fitbit devices. Considering the company had already stopped producing Ionic smartwatches back in 2020, the whole problem isn’t expected to bear any long-term consequences.