Fitbit Ionic Smartwatch Recalled Globally Over Burn Risk

Fitbit Ionic has been recalled by the Google-owned firm attributable to overheating points that might probably trigger a burn hazard, a US regulator stated on Wednesday. The recalling choice comes after Fitbit obtained greater than 100 stories of burn accidents owing to overheating of the smartwatch. Launched again in September 2017, the Fitbit Ionic provided options together with exercise monitoring in addition to coronary heart and sleep monitoring. About a million items of the Ionic smartwatch have been bought within the US till December 2021, with a further 693,000 bought globally together with India.

Because of the recalling, Fitbit will difficulty a refund of $299 (roughly Rs. 22,700) as soon as homeowners will return their Ionic watch to the corporate. It should additionally present shoppers with a reduction code to supply 40 % off on choose Fitbit units, the US Client Product Security Fee famous in its announcement.

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

“We obtained a really restricted variety of stories — the totals within the US regulator announcement characterize lower than 0.01 % of items bought — of the battery in Fitbit Ionic smartwatches overheating, posing a burn hazard,” Fitbit stated in an announcement emailed to Devices 360.

The corporate acknowledged that the recall didn’t influence 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.

Devices 360 requested Fitbit to verify how Indian shoppers can avail the refund. The corporate is but to reply, although.

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

Eligible shoppers 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.

Consumer stories on the Fitbit Group boards counsel that the overheating points with the Ionic watch began to emerge shortly after its launch in 2017.

“Right this moment my Fitbit Ionic burnt my wrist. I seen I had a stinging feeling,” one of many affected customers stated in a discussion board put up.

That is notably not the primary time when Fitbit is recalling one among its common wearables. In 2014, the corporate recalled its Drive wristband after going through complaints of pores and skin rashes and irritation. Fitbit additionally averted recalling the Flex wristband regardless of getting comparable pores and skin irritation stories and stated that it made some changes and put a warning that it may trigger allergic reactions attributable to nickel.