Snap has announced it is officially discontinuing its Pixy flying selfie drone and recalling every unit sold, just four months after the $230 gadget first went on sale.
The consumer tech company said Tuesday it is immediately stopping sales of Pixy and urging all customers to return their drones for a full refund following reports of defective batteries that can overheat, swell, and in some cases catch fire.
According to a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall notice, Snap has received 4 reports of Pixy’s battery bulging and one report of a drone that caught fire. There has also been 1 report of a minor injury due to the faulty battery.
In total, Snap sold approximately 71,000 Pixy drones before pulling the plug on what was meant to be the ultimate hands-free selfie-capturing companion. However, disappointing sales and safety concerns have led the company to end production entirely.
Customers who purchased a Pixy can visit Snap’s recall page to submit their drone’s serial number and get instructions on how to properly dispose of the faulty lithium-ion battery. Snap will provide prepaid shipping labels so drones can be sent back for a full refund.
The demise of Pixy caps off a rough year for Snap’s ambitions in hardware, coming just months after it ended production of its Spectacles augmented reality glasses. Pixy’s brief tenure is a cautionary tale in launching consumer devices that fail to resonate with shoppers.
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