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Amazon has issued a safety warning to owners of its Echo Buds headphones that they are at risk of overheating while being charged.
Amazon discovered evidence of ‘very rare cases’ in which it is possible for the £120 Echo Buds to overheat while hooked up to power via their included carry case.
The tech giant sent an lengthy email to Echo Buds customers on Wednesday, urging them to perform a software update to prevent overheating from occurring.
Echo Buds owners will automatically receive the update when their Echo Buds connect via Bluetooth to their phone and the Alexa app.
Amazon is also no longer selling the Echo Buds, which are labelled as temporarily out of stock on Amazon.com, until late August.
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In ‘very rare cases’ it is possible for Echo Buds to overheat while in the charging case while they’re charging, according to Amazon
‘We recently determined that in very rare cases it is possible for Echo Buds to overheat while in the charging case,’ Amazon said in the email, seen by MailOnline.
‘Out of an abundance of caution, we released an over-the-air software update that addresses this potential issue.
‘The safety of our customers is our top priority.’
The email, sent to owners of the Echo Buds, says a software update addresses the ‘potential safety risk’ and improves the ‘long-term performance’ of the Echo Buds’ batteries.
Ear Buds, are integrated with Alexa, Amazon’s digital voice assistant, and have a noise-reduction feature that uses algorithms developed by Bose to block external sound.
The headphones, released last October, give up to five hours of music playback on a single charge
They charge through the included palm-sized carry case, which itself charges via a mini-USB slot.
But it kept in this portable case between uses, the Echo Buds’ battery power can last up to 20 hours after a single charge, according to Amazon.
Amazon senior vice president of devices and services Dave Limp announces wireless earbuds with Alexa digital assistant, among other new technology at Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle last year
But in ‘very rare cases’ it is possible for Echo Buds to overheat while in the charging case while they’re charging, the tech giant admitted in the email.
The company is advising Echo Buds owners to open the Echo Buds case, ensure both buds are in the case, confirm they are connected via Bluetooth to their phone and open the accompanying Alexa app on their phone to kick off the all-important software update.
Within the app, users need to select ‘Devices’ in the bottom right, and then tap ‘Echo & Alexa’ followed by ‘Echo Buds’, before scrolling to the ‘About’ section at the bottom of the page and confirm that the device is running software version 318119151 or higher.
‘If you purchased this item for someone else, please notify the recipient immediately and provide them with this information,’ Amazon added.
Amazon did not say if the issue was heat was caused by an issue within the battery case, and MailOnline has contacted Amazon as to whether the company is tweaking the hardware before the product goes back on sale on its website.
The Echo Buds, released to rival Apple’s £160 wireless Bluetooth AirPods, were announced alongside the Echo Loop ring, which lets users to speak into their hand and is yet to get a full release.
Also revealed was the Echo Frames – Alexa-powered smart glasses with tiny microphones built into the frame, which are available ‘on invitation’ by the company and are also yet to get a full release.
On its unveiling, UK writer Sam Jordison called the high-tech specs a piece of ‘terrifying spyware’ and a threat to privacy, by allowing Alexa to hear and record the most personal conversations within earshot.
Amazon has received criticism for storing most of the conversations users have with Alexa, which Amazon admitted last year are being listened to and transcribed by staff.
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