Google-owned Fitbit has announced it is recalling its Ionic smartwatches after it confirmed the potential for overheating and burn injuries. The public service announcement was made via the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), who noted that around 1 million Ionic smartwatches have been sold in the US, while an additional 700,000 have been sold in other countries. The battery found in models sold between 2017 and 2020 can overheat and pose a burn hazard to users. Fitbit has received at least 174 reports of the Ionic battery overheating and 78 reports of burn injuries, including two incidents of second-degree burns and four involving third-degree burns in the US. The company also received 40 reports of burn injuries from users in other countries.
In a statement, a Fitbit spokesperson explained that “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. We received a very limited number of injury reports - the totals in the CPSC announcement represent less than 0.01% of units sold - of the battery in Fitbit Ionic smartwatches overheating, posing a burn hazard. These incidents are very rare and this voluntary recall does not impact other Fitbit smartwatches or trackers.” Fitbit stopped selling the Ionic smartwatch in 2020, shortly before being acquired by Google for $2.1 billion. The Ionic was the company’s first real smartwatch designed to cater to people beyond its core fanbase, but Fitbit’s focus has been shifting more towards building an ecosystem of fitness, wellness, and telemedicine services that works well with its fitness trackers. Eligible devices have the code FB503 engraved on the back, and people who return them will receive a $299 refund, as well as a 40 percent discount code for select Fitbit products.
