Smartphone accessories The Anker brand has recalled three wireless speaker: Black Soundcore Bluetooth Speaker and two PowerConf S3 Bluetooth Speakers. The affected devices have model numbers A3102016, A3302011, and A3302031, respectively.
According to US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)the speaker has a defective lithium-ion battery that “may overheat, posing a fire hazard.” The CPSC said it “received 33 reports of incidents” involving hardware that emitted smoke, caused a small fire and, in one case, caused minor burns to an individual.
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These devices are sold exclusively on Amazon from March to October 2023. Prices range from $28 to $130. About 69,000 units were sold in the United States and about 9,674 speakers were sold in Canada. CPSC is asking people to stop using the recalled hardware immediately. Make sure the speaker is powered off and not connected to a wall charger or external power source.
You can identify the faulty device by the SN Code on the bottom of the Bluetooth speaker. Once you have the number, visit Anker support page, Contact the company and fill out the product recall information. Anker will then provide instructions on how to obtain a free replacement speaker.
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If your Soundcore device isn’t one of the recalled models then you’re safe, but if you’re still concerned, we recommend contacting Anker to be sure. It never hurts to double check.
Under no circumstances should you dispose of recalled devices in trash or electronic recycling boxes at retail stores. Again, these devices are a fire hazard. To safely dispose of defective speakers, the CPSC recommends visiting your city’s recycling center for damaged and recalled lithium batteries. Go to America Environmental Protection Agency website to “find a recycling location near you.”
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If you’re feeling déjà vu, this is the third time in 2024 that Anker has issued a recall due to defective batteries. The first recall was for the 321 Power Bank (PowerCore 5K), the A3302 AnkerWork PowerConf S3 speakerphone, and the A3102 Soundcore Bluetooth speaker in early June. Then in SeptemberThe company has recalled MagGo 334 Batteries (PowerCore 10K), Power Bank packs and MagGo Power Banks.
Three recalls for such a popular brand is shocking. What’s going on at Anker? So far, the brand has not released an official statement although we have reached out for comment. We will update this story if we hear back at a later date.
