LG: Faulty display component led to cancellation of Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE release

Chance Miller | Nov 23 2015 - 5:17 pm PT

Last week, LG abruptly announced it was canceling the launch of its Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE indefinitely, citing an unidentified hardware problem that directly affected the day-to-day functionality of the device. Now, Telegraph has obtained a statement from LG in which the company reveals the hardware issue plaguing its LTE-capable watch relates to the display.

In the statement, LG says that a component used in the device’s display failed to meet the company’s quality standards. The company noted that it is a component it has never used in a smartwatch before. The Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE was supposed to feature a 480×480 P-OLED display. LG is sure to note, however, that the its second-gen Urbane was in no way a safety hazard to customers.

Below is LG’s full statement:

“For competitive and supplier relations reasons we are not in a position to communicate the specifics of the issue that led to this decision. However, what we can share is that the hardware issue was related to a new advanced component that we had incorporated in the device that had never been used in an LG wearable device before.

During aggressive testing over thousands of hours under severe conditions, it was revealed that this component failed to meet LG’s quality standards and could potentially impact our image quality over the life of the device.

We would like to make very clear that the issue in question has no bearing whatsoever on the safety of the device or the wearer. It is, simply, an issue that might affect the user experience of the LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition over the long term.

We thank our customers and fans for their understanding that we did not take this decision lightly but when it comes to giving our customers the best LG experience, this was the right decision. “

The implications on a company like LG of canceling the rollout of a device so late in the game are huge. The second-gen Urbane was supposed to be the first Android Wear device to feature LTE connectivity and had already made its way into some customer hands before the company realized the quality issues to which the display was prone.

At this point it remains unclear as to whether LG will release a revised version of the Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE. The company has been vague in its plans since canceling the Intel rollout of the device.

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