Snap’s free-flying camera with built-in drone sounded like a great idea when it launched. The owner paired it with their phone, and it was almost like holding a camera again. However, 71,000 Pixy Flying Cameras later, it is back to the drawing board. Snap has recalled 71,000 flying camera batteries plus drones because the batteries are swelling.
How Should Snap Camera Owners Respond To This?
Forbes explains the 71,000 flying camera batteries use lithium-ion chemistry, which has been in the news lately. The recall notice is silent on why the batteries are swelling, and why this is happening now. The announcement points to a general Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notice that advises as follows:
- Consumers should tape over lithium-ion battery terminals, or place them in separate plastic bags.
- Lithium-ion batteries, and devices containing these, should not go in garbage or for recycling.
- Lithium-ion batteries should only go to recycling sites, or hazardous household waste collection points.
Snap emphasizes the need to comply with local and state ordinances while doing so. Although we doubt many Pixy owners ever read these.
What’s Wrong With The Flying Camera Batteries?
The Consumer Product Safety Commission received complaints from several consumers concerning ‘bulging batteries’, suggesting these are pouch cells. We understand that one of these incidents caused a ‘minor fire’ that injured one person.
Snap is asking all Pixy drone owners to respond as follows, regardless of how they obtained their camera drones:
- Remove the battery pack, and dispose of it according to above EPA guidelines.
- Return the camera drone to Snap per the link below, and receive a full refund.
Pixy and its flying camera batteries entered the U.S. market in 2022, as part of Snap’s re-branding exercise. The company abandoned the project four months later, due to declining revenue again, according to Forbes.
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