Andrew Heinzman
Amazon is emailing Echo Buds owners to warn of an overheating risk while charging. According to the email, which was first reported by Android Central, a quick firmware update will resolve the overheating issue.
This is the first time that we’ve heard of overheating Echo Buds, and we aren’t sure how or when Amazon discovered the issue. But Amazon begins its email with “the safety of our customers is our top priority,” which suggests that Amazon is worried about immediate fire hazards.
Lithium-ion batteries can “explode” if overheated or overcharged. And that seems to be the issue with the Echo Buds—they mismanage power and produce extra heat while charging. But the chances of your Echo Buds catching on fire are slim. Most overworked batteries deteriorate slowly. They lose their charging capacity and start bulging long before they burst into flames. (We also have no idea how many Echo Buds are affected by this issue.)
Amazon is sending emails to Echo Buds owners warning of a fire risk due to overheating and advising everyone to update the firmware pic.twitter.com/zjwOj91TNW
— Daniel Bader (@journeydan) July 15, 2020
Echo Buds update semi-automatically. So before you worry about updating them, I suggest checking their current firmware. Open the Alexa app on your phone and go to “Devices.” Open the “Echo & Alexa” menu, press the “Echo Buds” option, and press “About.” If you see software number 318119151 or higher, then you’re good to go.
Need to update your Echo Buds? Place them in their charging case, connect them to your phone via Bluetooth, check that they’re connected to your Alexa app, and wait. If your Echo Buds case has a 30% charge or higher, then the update should finish in a half hour.
Again, this the first we’ve heard of overheating Echo Buds. Hopefully Amazon chimes in to clarify the extent of this safety issue.
Source: Amazon via Android Central
