Tech manufacturer Inmo has pulled its Air3 smart glasses from the market following official warnings that overheating components pose a risk of severe head burns.
The recall comes after a consumer product safety agency in the United States issued an official alert regarding heat build-up in the device. Health Canada published a matching warning, urging consumers to stop using the augmented reality eyewear immediately.
Regulators reported that the left temple of the glasses is exposed to overheating during prolonged use. Safety notices warned that excessive heat creates a direct risk of burn injuries to the face and head, which could potentially result in severe harm or death.
Smart glasses are wearable electronic frames that project digital information, graphics, or video directly within a user's field of view. Inmo positioned its hardware as a direct competitor to major wearable technology brands, aiming to capture a share of the growing market for consumer augmented reality devices.
Safety alerts and battery concerns
Inmo has not released an official statement explaining the technical cause of the thermal failure. However, preliminary assessments indicate that the issue likely stems from the integrated battery housed inside the frame's left arm.
The Air3 smart glasses entered the market in December 2025, launching with more than 1,600 units sold. Units were priced between 900 dollars and 1,300 dollars, marketed primarily on their integrated micro-OLED screens designed for media consumption and powered by the Android operating system.
Micro-OLED technology mounts organic light-emitting diodes directly onto silicon backplanes, offering high pixel density and contrast in compact displays. Android, an open-source operating system developed by Google, is widely used across mobile and wearable electronics to manage applications and hardware connectivity.
Early warning signs in hardware reviews
Signs of thermal problems emerged shortly after the product's release. Technology publication The Verge reviewed the Air3 in February 2026, noting that the glasses produced a strange burning sensation during testing.
Multiple independent reviews echoed those concerns, reporting that the device became uncomfortably warm within minutes of operation and arguing that the high price tag was not justified by its performance. Testers noted that the left temple could shift rapidly from lukewarm to hot, causing pain around the user's ear.
The Verge is a prominent American technology news outlet that evaluates consumer electronics. Wearable devices face strict thermal design limits because electronic components and lithium batteries sit directly against human skin, requiring effective heat dissipation to prevent discomfort or injury.
User complaints and sales withdrawal
At least 10 user reports explicitly documented experiencing a burning feeling on the face and on the left ear. In response to mounting issues, Inmo halted sales of the Air3 in August 2026.
Before sales were stopped, the glasses were distributed directly through the company's official website, retail platform Amazon, and a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Owners noted that even a protective case supplied with the purchase failed to mitigate the underlying heat issues that were present from launch.
Kickstarter is a global crowdfunding platform where hardware startups raise early capital from backers, while Amazon is the world's largest online marketplace. Hardware creators frequently rely on combined crowdfunding and retail channels to bring niche consumer electronics to market.
Customer support and software remediation
Inmo has instructed affected customers to reach out to its support team. The company indicated that support staff will assist owners by providing a software update intended to address the device's operational behavior.
Questions remain over whether a software modification can fully resolve a hardware heating defect located near the temple, as consumers await further updates on product safety compliance.
