Despite careful planning and preparation, the launch of Ai Pin was far from successful according to Humane. This week, the well-funded startup is facing yet another challenge in a growing list of issues. In an email sent to customers, the company has requested that they discontinue using the egg-shaped charging case.
The warning was issued “out of an abundance of caution,” revealed Humane. Apparently, following a single complaint from a customer regarding a charging malfunction, the company launched an internal investigation. Upon inspection, Humane found that the supplied batteries could potentially pose a fire hazard.
“Through our investigation, we discovered that our battery supplier did not meet our quality standards and that there is a risk of fire with certain battery cells provided by this vendor,” explained Humane in the email, as seen by TechCrunch. “As a result, we have immediately discontinued working with this supplier while we search for a new one to maintain our high standards of quality and avoid any future issues.”
In an effort to gather more information, we reached out to Humane and inquired whether they plan on issuing a full recall or providing refunds for the affected product. Currently, the company is offering two free months of its $24 subscription service as compensation.
Unfortunately, Humane is not the first consumer electronics company to ship products with potentially hazardous batteries. However, the timing of this news is less than favorable, as reports suggest that its founders are currently seeking buyers for the company just months after releasing its first product.
According to the email, Humane has assured customers that only the Charge Case is affected by this development. The Battery Boost and Charging Pad products are not affected or singled out by the company.
