Fitbit Ionic Smartwatch Recalled Globally Over Burn Risk

Fitbit Ionic has been recalled by the Google-owned firm as a consequence of overheating points that would doubtlessly trigger a burn hazard, a US regulator stated on Wednesday. The recalling choice comes after Fitbit acquired greater than 100 studies of burn accidents owing to overheating of the smartwatch. Launched again in September 2017, the Fitbit Ionic supplied options together with exercise monitoring in addition to coronary heart and sleep monitoring. About a million models of the Ionic smartwatch had been offered within the US till December 2021, with a further 693,000 offered globally together with India.

As a results of the recalling, Fitbit will subject a refund of $299 (roughly Rs. 22,700) as soon as homeowners will return their Ionic watch to the corporate. It may also present customers with a reduction code to supply 40 p.c off on choose Fitbit units, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission noted in its announcement.

Fitbit acquired at the very least 174 studies of the watch’s overheating, with 118 studies of burn accidents that embrace two instances of third-degree burns and 4 of second-degree burns, the US fee stated.

“We received a very limited number of reports — the totals in the US regulator announcement represent less than 0.01 percent of units sold — of the battery in Fitbit Ionic smartwatches overheating, posing a burn hazard,” Fitbit stated in a press release emailed to Gadgets 360.

The firm acknowledged that the recall didn’t impression different Fitbit smartwatches or trackers.

Fitbit stopped the manufacturing of Ionic in 2020. The smartwatch was launched in India at Rs. 22,990 in January 2018.

Gadgets 360 requested Fitbit to verify how Indian customers can avail the refund, and the corporate responded by saying that the customers impacted exterior the US ought to go to help.fitbit.com/ionic for info on how one can obtain a refund.

“The refund will be equivalent to USD $299 in local currency. We urge all Ionic users to participate,” the corporate stated.

The recall is proscribed to 4 variants of the Fitbit Ionic which have the next mannequin numbers: FB503CPBU, FB503GYBK, FB503WTGY, and FB503WTNV.

Eligible customers within the US can proceed for the refund by contacting Fitbit helpline at 888-925-1764 or visiting the assistance part on the corporate’s web site.

User studies on the Fitbit Community boards suggest that the overheating points with the Ionic watch started to emerge shortly after its launch in 2017.

“Today my Fitbit Ionic burnt my wrist. I noticed I had a stinging feeling,” one of many affected customers said in a discussion board publish.

This is notably not the primary time when Fitbit is recalling one in all its widespread wearables. In 2014, the corporate recalled its Force wristband after dealing with complaints of pores and skin rashes and irritation. Fitbit additionally averted recalling the Flex wristband regardless of getting related pores and skin irritation studies and stated that it made some changes and put a warning that it may trigger allergic reactions as a consequence of nickel.