Dyson CameraJet Defect Raises Questions About Waterproofing and Reliability

Dyson says a single component issue affected a small number of initial CameraJet batches. “We identified a single component issue that affected a small number of initial batches,” Thomas said. “We have isolated those batches and are supporting affected customers.”

Dyson Won’t Disclose Key Details About the CameraJet Issue

Dyson declined to say where the CameraJet is still being sold worldwide or when it stopped shipping the product. The company also has not identified the defective “single component,” explained what problem it causes, or disclosed how many units are affected globally.

Dyson also declined to comment on why it did not formally recall the defective initial lots of the $500 device.

CameraJet Owners Report Devices That Stopped Working

The Dyson Reddit forum has become increasingly active as owners discuss the CameraJet problem. Some users have nicknamed the product “ScameraJet.” In comments from dissatisfied buyers, one customer wrote: “I bought two of these and they both no longer work. I bought them in the UK and have no plans to return them and I threw away the packaging so I can’t return them. I’m so disappointed because it was such a good scam. I can’t believe it only lasted two weeks.”

Experts Suspect a Possible Water-Ingress Problem

Kyle Wiens, CEO of repair company iFixit, believes the CameraJet may have a waterproofing problem. Reddit users have reported possible leaks.

“This seems like a waterproofing problem. It’s difficult to manufacture products at scale with the tolerances required for waterproofing,” Wiens said. “Having no opportunity to see the failed unit, my guess is that either there is a tolerance issue where some parts don’t mate perfectly, or there is a defect in the adhesive curing process during manufacturing or shipping.”

According to Wiens, an adhesive failure could affect a product that passes factory testing but later develops problems when exposed to heat or moisture during shipping.

Adam Toner, founder and technical director at Ripcord Designs, a UK-based electronics design consultancy that has worked with multinational companies including F1 Management and Panasonic, also believes water could be involved.

“Products like this shouldn’t allow water to get inside,” Toner said. “I don’t have the battery in front of me, but I’ve seen some videos and people explaining how to replace the battery. People say that when you remove the battery, water comes out of it, but it seems like you can probably access everything inside the device from the battery compartment.”

Water entering the CameraJet could explain reports that the device is not charging, overheating, or failing to start, Toner said. He believes the cause could be as simple as a defective gasket or O-ring.

CameraJet Reliability Could Put Pressure on Dyson

If water ingress is confirmed as a CameraJet problem, it would raise questions about how a device designed to be immersed in water could fail to remain waterproof.

Wiens believes the CameraJet problems could force Dyson to reconsider its approach to repairability.

“Obviously they didn’t plan for this to happen,” he said. “Companies should take this opportunity to invest in repairability. Making products easier to repair makes it easier to start over in the event of a manufacturing defect. Dyson is far behind the industry in providing repair parts and information for their products. This should be a wake-up call for them to step up.”