Snap Recalls Pixy Camera Drone Over Battery Issues

Snapchat owner Snap is recalling its pocket-sized drone camera Pixy due to safety concerns.

The social media company launched the tiny device in April 2022, only to stop making the product months later.

On Thursday (Feb. 1) the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall of the Pixy — and the lithium battery that powered it — after reports of the batteries overheating, leading to one minor fire and one minor injury.

“Consumers should immediately stop using the Pixy Flying Camera, remove the battery and stop charging it,” the CPSC said in the recall notice.

Consumers can then go to www.pixy.com to learn how to participate in the recall, get a refund of the purchase price, and dispose of the battery in adherence with local and state regulations.

The recall affects 71,000 units, according to the CPSC notice.

While the Pixy may be grounded, there has been an increased use of drones in the retail world in the last year.

For example, Walmart last August joined forces with the Alphabet-owned on-demand drone delivery provider, Wing, for a last-mile delivery partnership in the Dallas, Texas, metro area.

“The retail giant had already taken flight with drone delivery operations across seven states and 36 stores, successfully fulfilling over 10,000 deliveries,” PYMNTS wrote in October. “Through its collaboration with Wing, Walmart is poised to expand its coverage to an additional 60,000 residences. This is being made possible by Wing’s drones, which have the capability to operate beyond the line of sight, offering on-demand delivery services to customers residing within a 6-mile radius of participating Walmart outlets.”

Also in October, Amazon Pharmacy began offering customers in College Station, Texas, the option of drone-drop delivery services, letting them get prescription medications brought to their doors within 60 minutes of placing an order.

“We’re taught from the first days of medical school that there is a golden window that matters in clinical medicine,” said Dr. Vin Gupta, chief medical officer of Amazon Pharmacy, at the time. “That’s the time between when a patient feels unwell and when they’re able to get treatment. We’re working hard at Amazon to dramatically narrow the golden window from diagnosis to treatment, and drone delivery marks a significant step forward.”