After receiving reports of connectivity issues related to LG's new UltraFine 5K monitor, and confirming those problems with LG, Apple temporarily suspended sales of the display earlier this February. With ship times slow to improve, AppleInsider explains what's going on.
Apple has temporarily stopped sales of LG's UltraFine 5K monitor, due to technical problems associated with a lack of proper shielding from wireless interference.
Shipping estimates for LG's UltraFine 5K Display, sold exclusively through Apple's retail network, have slipped to over a month as the Korean company issues updated hardware with better RF shielding.
The shielding applied to LG's UltraFine 5K display is effective in eliminating the radio frequency interference problem induced by Wi-Fi routers, as well as other high-power transmitters like cellular towers "blocking" the same frequency, according to AppleInsider examinations.
Thunderbolt 3 LG UltraFine 5K displays boasting enhanced shielding to prevent radio frequency interference disconnects and crashing are working their way to retailers now, and problematic units in the field will be assessed for service and shielding addition on a case by case basis, AppleInsider has learned.
After delving into the cause of wi-fi router interference, LG has redesigned the shielding on future production batches of the Thunderbolt 3 UltraFine 5K display — but not only may this not directly address other user's connectivity complaints, how existing monitor owners will get the problem fixed is not yet clear.
Apple's issues with the LG Ultrafine 5K Display may reach further than problems associated with nearby Wi-Fi routers, as users are now reporting worrying hardware troubles unrelated to networking hardware.
A Wi-Fi-related issue with some LG UltraFine 5K Displays has possibly been discovered, one that effectively renders the high-resolution Thunderbolt 3 displays unusable if an afflicted unit is positioned within a few feet of a router or a wireless access point.
LG and Google's next-generation Android Wear smartwatch expected in early February is said to be adopting a Digital Crown — similar to the technology Apple pioneered in its wearable Apple Watch.
Shipping times for the LG UltraFine 5K Display have dropped precipitously in the U.S., with outstanding orders being updated, and new order shipping estimates falling from 2-4 weeks, to just one week.
Apple may have abandoned the monitor market, but LG has taken the torch for a high-performing display specifically for Apple users. Despite eschewing some of Apple's design principles, the LG UltraFine 5K Display monitor brings almost everything to the desktop that Mac users have been clamoring for, including a convenient, versatile Thunderbolt 3 connection.
Announced in tandem with the 2016 MacBook Pros, LG's 27" UltraFine 5K Display was developed in partnership with Apple. Despite a modest design, the monitor's color accuracy, brightness, contrast and sharpness make it a worthy successor to Apple's defunct Thunderbolt Display.
Apple this week started deliveries of LG's hotly anticipated UltraFine 5K Display, a monitor developed to complement Apple's new all-Thunderbolt 3 MacBook Pro lineup. AppleInsider goes hands-on with the device in this first look video.
With the first preorders now arriving in the hands of customers, AppleInsider offers a closer look at LG's gorgeous 27-inch UltraFine 5K Display, featuring Thunderbolt 3 connectivity to take advantage of Apple's latest MacBook Pros.
In support documents for the forthcoming LG UltraFine 5K Display published Tuesday, Apple notes older Mac models, including 2013's Mac Pro, can be used at 4K and lower resolutions when connected via a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter.
Apple on Tuesday began accepting orders for LG's 27-inch UltraFine 5K Display, featuring Thunderbolt 3 USB-C connectivity designed for the new lineup of MacBook Pros.
A Sunday report reaffirmed claims that next year's "iPhone 8" will come in separate OLED and LCD versions, with all of the OLED models sporting curved displays.
While it isn't branded as an Apple display, the LG UltraFine 4K Display is quite Apple-like, featuring a minimalist design, high-quality ultra high-resolution screen, and dead-simple plug-and-play connectivity. It's a fantastic choice and a gorgeous display if you have a USB-C equipped MacBook, with a few caveats: it lessens the appeal of the MacBook Pro's Touch Bar and Touch ID, and it doesn't utilize Thunderbolt 3.
LG Display has picked up Apple, Google, and Microsoft as some of the first customers for foldable OLED displays it plans to put into mass production in 2018, a Korean report claimed on Friday.
One month after it debuted onstage at Apple's MacBook Pro event, LG's UltraFine 5K Display went up for sale on Monday exclusively through Apple's online storefront for $974.
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AppleInsider Staff
Roger Fingas
Mikey Campbell
Mike Wuerthele
Malcolm Owen
Neil Hughes
