LG has confirmed that its UltraFine 5K Displays, designed to work seamlessly with Apple's newer MacBook Pro models, have a router proximity problem, in which the monitors become unusable when placed beside or near a Wi-Fi router.
Upon investigating the issue to uncover the cause, LG has confirmed that it has improved the shielding on future production units of the UltraFine 5K Display, but this assurance doesn't make clear how users who are presently encountering the issue can get their UltraFine 5K units fixed.
Future UltraFine 5K Display Units Will Get Enhanced Shielding
"LG apologizes for this inconvenience and is committed to delivering the best quality products possible," LG said via email to Recode.
LG promises that all UltraFine 5K Displays manufactured post-February this year won't be embroiled in router proximity issues.
The company has also announced that existing units may be fitted with enhanced shielding technology, although the logistics of such an effort hasn't been announced by the company, save for LG's assurance of a "prompt service." The company told AppleInsider that it has a responsibility to retrofit existing units with new shielding, but how exactly will consumers get their monitors repaired remains foggy.
"We have nothing to announce at this time, but we are speaking with LG to figure out how best to get this accomplished," a person within the company said.
LG UltraFine 5K Display Router Problem
For those uninitiated with the aforementioned problem, there's been recent reports of UltraFine 5K Displays that are constantly flickering, blacking out, or simply not working during what's believed to have been random occurrences. Turns out, it wasn't random at all: a common denominator with the issues is that the dysfunctional units at the time of their glitching were placed close to a router.
Other users also report that they too suffer from the same disconnect issues, even without a router near the display, which could spell for a more problematic issue altogether if it becomes widespread.
The enhanced shielding may make the monitors immune to networking frequency interruptions, but if the underlying hardware is prone to other issues induced by other frequencies, LG's recourse may not fix all the problems single handedly.
The UltraFine 5K Display is touted as replacement to Apple's now-discontinued Thunderbolt Display. It offers a 5,120 x 2,880 resolution, a P3 wide color gamut, and it charges the MacBook Pro it's tethered to via the same Thunderbolt 3 port used for video and data transfers. The monitor itself features a Thunderbolt 3 port, three USB 3.1 ports, a built-in camera, and stereo speakers.
Those planning to pick up an UltraFine 5K Display might find it best to just wait until March or even April — just to be sure — before purchasing one, since this is the window when the "fixed" units will be manufactured.
The LG-manufactured monitor was introduced by Apple in October alongside the new MacBook Pro. It's available on Apple's website for a discounted price, but only for a limited time.
For those who have purchased LG's UltraFine 5K display, please feel free to tell us if you have encountered similar problems mentioned in this article. Sound off in the comments section below!
