The Handy 2 Issues: Engineering Update and Resolution Process. We apologize
To our community,
This letter addresses manufacturing and fulfillment issues with a few of the delivered Handy 2’s, our latest device. Whether you own the Handy, are considering buying one, or are new to our community, we want you to understand what happened and how we're fixing it.
We owe you a direct answer about the charging problems affecting this small % of Handy 2 units, and an apology for the frustration this has caused. Here it is.
What we found
Our engineering team has identified two separate charging issues that are affecting our units. They don't impact every device (less than 3%), but they affect enough customers that we owe you a straightforward explanation and a clear plan to make it right:
- Charging Integrated Circuit “IC” manufacturing defect: On affected units, the charging IC on the board has vias (holes) in the solder pads. During manufacturing, solder paste can flow through these vias, leaving pins with poor connections. A unit can work fine when it leaves our factory, then fail weeks or months later as the connection degrades with use. This is a design and manufacturing problem on our side.
- Insufficient input voltage support: Our charging system requires a minimum of 5.1V input. Many chargers, including standard Apple chargers and USB ports on computers, fall back to 5V when they don't recognize our device's power delivery profile, leaving the unit unable to charge. The fix is a USB-C PD charger that delivers 9V or more; those allow the higher voltage automatically and charge the device reliably. We should have caught this before shipping.
Both issues are on us. No excuses. We apologize.
What this means for you
If your Handy 2 won’t charge, it’s likely one of these two problems. Issue 2 is easy to work around, using a USB-C PD charger rated for 9V or higher. Issue 1 requires a replacement. Neither is something you should have to debug yourself.
What we've done
Both issues are fixed in current production. The charging circuit has been redesigned to prevent degradation, and the power system now works with standard chargers. Units with the fix are now rolling out.
Our customer support
For those of you that have reached out to us through customer service: You've waited long for answers, and that's not the experience we want anyone to have. We're sorry. We've grown the support team and shifted internal resources, so QA and support get the priority they deserve. We know words are not enough and you will see the difference in how quickly we respond from here on.
If you're affected, reach out
Email contact@thehandy.com with your order number, device info from the app, charger model, and a brief description of the problem. We'll diagnose quickly and replace the unit if needed.
Moving Forward
We're strengthening QC going forward and taking steps to rebuild the trust you've placed in us. Thanks to the Handy community for your honest feedback, we won't take that lightly.
Thank you for holding us accountable.
Jens Petter Wilhelmsen, CEO