Snap has initiated a recall for its Pixy drone, citing a fire hazard due to the drone’s battery. Despite its brief four-month lifespan on the market, Snap sold nearly 71,000 units of the device. The recall is comprehensive, involving the entire drone and not just the battery, likely because Snap no longer manufactures the batteries.
Both Snap and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission advise Pixy owners to cease using the drone immediately and remove and stop charging the battery following reports of battery swelling, a fire incident, and a minor injury.
Owners are entitled to a full refund for the drone and any additional batteries purchased, with refunds starting at $185, even for those who received the drone as a gift without a receipt. To process the refund, owners are required to return the drone, excluding the batteries, and can initiate the process by completing a form online to receive a prepaid return label from Snap. The company suggests disposing of the batteries safely at designated bins in hardware or big box stores.
The venture into drone technology was a notable expansion for Snap, which had previously explored hardware through its Snap Spectacles, aiming to offer unique video-capturing perspectives for its platform and delving into AR technology.
Despite Snap CEO Evan Spiegel’s previous optimism about the drone market potentially surpassing that for video-capturing glasses, the recall follows the first public disclosure of the Pixy’s sales figures, with the CPSC reporting around 71,000 units sold, including separate battery sales.
