Fitbit has been hit with another lawsuit citing more severe burns as a result of battery failure in its devices. The previous lawsuit had nearly 2 million Fitbit Ionics recalled earlier this year because of 78 reported burns, some of which were second and third-degree. The new lawsuit alleges that it’s not just Ionics that have faulty batteries, but that the “same defect exists throughout all” of Fitbit’s devices.
According to the lawsuit first reported by Ars Technica, multiple reports of Fitbits burning their owners have surfaced online. Unlike the Ionic recall, the burns aren’t linked by a specific device series, but instead by the Fitbit brand itself. The report cites burns that have come from a plethora of Fitbit devices such as the Fitbit Versa, Fitbit Versa 2, Fitbit Versa Light, Fitbit Charge 4, Fitbit Ionic, Fitbit Sense, Fitbit Alta HR, Fitbit Inspire, Fitbit Inspire HR, and ironically Fitbit Blaze.
The lawsuit is looking for Google to recall even more Fitbit devices as it believes that the defect is present across the entire Fitbit brand. Given how much hardware is shared between device launches, that claim isn’t too difficult to believe. It’s still to be seen what actions Google will take following the new lawsuit, but if enough evidence is presented that Fitbits could continue doing harm, another major recall might be on the horizon.
As Fitbit’s smartwatches literally crash and burn, many have turned their eyes to Google’s next rumored smartwatch outing: the Pixel Watch. The Pixel Watch is currently Google’s worst-kept secret and many are expecting it to be announced at next week’s I/O conference. Hopefully, the announcement will shed some light on the device’s battery and settle the minds of those anxious after seeing the images of burned skin from the Fitbit report.
It’s still to be seen how much damage this new lawsuit will cause Google, so skeptical reactions to the reveal are to be expected. Despite that, the Pixel Watch could be a good step in the right direction for Google’s wearable tech following this year’s Fitbit issues.
The burn images shared are a little tough to stomach given how severe some of the injuries are, but those interested can find them in the lawsuit as posted by Ars Technica. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.