Apple Delays Sales of UltraFine 5K Display as LG Works on Shielding Fix

As LG works on a fix for a Wi-Fi router issue plaguing its UltraFine 27-inch 5K Display, Apple has delayed shipments for the accessory and removed in store pickup options.

New orders for the LG UltraFine 5K Display will now ship out in five to six weeks, ensuring buyers will get a display with updated hardware that fixes the Wi-Fi interference problem.

Prior to the shipping change, the displays were shipping out in a couple of weeks, and for a period in January, shipping estimates were as low as three to five days.

The shipping delay can be attributed to an issue that first popped up shortly after the displays began shipping out to customers in December. Users began noticing display glitches and freezes that were eventually attributed to interference caused by close proximity to a Wi-Fi router. Last week, LG confirmed the existence of a problem, apologized, and announced an official hardware fix.

Going forward, all UltraFine 5K Displays manufactured after February 2017 include additional shielding, protecting them against electromagnetic radiation from routers.

Existing models are also able to be retrofitted with the same improved shielding, and customers who have already purchased a display will need to get in touch with LG support to arrange a repair to solve the problem.

Created by Apple and LG to work with the new 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models, the UltraFine 5K Display continues to be available for $974, a 25 percent discount off of the standard $1,299.95 price tag. Special pricing, part of a sale on USB-C accessories, will be available until March 31.

Update: In line with Apple removing its in-store pickup tool, the LG UltraFine 5K Display appears to be temporarily out of stock at all Apple retail stores. A tipster informed us the Apple Store in Walnut Creek, CA was unable to process his LG UltraFine 5K Display purchase on Thursday:

When the Apple Store manager tried to sell it to me, the internal system would not allow him to sell it. As an experiment, he tried inputting a 4K model, successfully, which confirmed that the sales lockout only applies to the 5K monitor.

MacRumors called Apple Stores in New York, Toronto, and elsewhere, and all of the locations confirmed the display was out of stock. Apple's central call center is also unable to check availability of the display.