Smart glasses have been shrouded in controversy for quite some time now.
They’ve earned the moniker of “pervert glasses” for allowing creeps to spy on unsuspecting strangers, while sketchy facial recognition software generates fear of a dystopian surveillance state. Meta’s even been hit with a lawsuit for allowing contracts to see users’ intimate moments.
The smart glasses world just can’t catch a break. Now, gadget maker Inmo had to recall its Air3 smart glasses because the left arm can “overheat during extended use, posing a risk of serious injury or death due to burn hazard,” according to an official notice by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
“Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled product and update the product firmware to version 3.16 before reusing the product,” a separate recall notice by Health Canada warned.
It’s unclear what exactly is causing the glasses’ right arm to heat up, though it happens to be roughly where the gadget’s integrated 660 mAh battery is located.
According to the CPSC, over 1,600 of the pair — which retail from $900 to $1,300 depending on specs — have been sold in the US. Unlike Meta’s AI smart glasses, the Air3 are designed to act as Android-powered augmented reality glasses to be worn while kicking back on the couch, allowing wearers to watch content via the built-in micro OLED display.
As The Verge points out, reviews of the Air3 glasses from February noted a bizarre burning sensation.
“These glasses retail for nearly $1,100,” YouTube reviewer Non-Tech Tech Guy noted in a video at the time. “For that price, I expected magic. Instead, within the first few minutes, they were literally too hot to keep on my face.”
“I’m not talking slightly warm,” he added. “I’m talking hot. It gets to the point where it can actually hurt your ear. They even provide a sleeve in the box to cover the arm. That’s pretty crazy.”
“This is clearly a known issue, and their solution is to cover it up,” the reviewer argued. “Not ideal.”
More on smart glasses: Australia, the Land of Bluey, Tim-Tams, and Kylie Minogue: Not Having Those Pervert Glasses, Seeks to Pass “World Leading” Ban on Them
