Fitbit has recalled a line of fitness-tracking smartwatches after several reports were filed of users experiencing overheating batteries, and some suffering burns.
The Google-owned company, which specialises in exercise and fitness smart technology, announced last week it was recalling its Ionic smartwatch after receiving 174 reports of the device overheating.
Of the 174 affected watches, 118 users reported burns, including two reports of a third-degree burn and four reports of second-degree burns.
The company, in conjunction with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), announced its decision in a statement last week, saying the watches were overheating and causing burns “in very limited instances” due to the lithium-ion battery.
“The health and safety of Fitbit users is our highest priority,” the statement reads.
“We are taking this action out of an abundance of caution for our users. We will offer a refund to Fitbit Ionic customers.”
While Fitbit previously discontinued the Ionic smartwatch line in 2020, it is still encouraging all current owners of the model to stop using the watch and return it to Fitbit in exchange for a refund and possible future discounts on other Fitbit products.
The company was purchased by Google in January 2021, with an overall price tag of $US2.1 billion ($A2.8 billion).
The deal followed scrutiny by the European Data Protection Board over the data privacy of Fitbit users, with the governing body expressing concern over potential breaches of the general data protection regulation and using health data for advertisement purposes.
Google reportedly promised to not leverage Fitbit user data for ads for another decade.
