LG releases update for G Watch to fix corrosion issues

LG may have been one of the very first manufacturers to market with an Android Wear smartwatch but LG G watch being first generation tech products, early adopters are usually subject to problems due to design oversights and immature software. This smartwatch was sold aggressively as it is amongst the few smartwatches that run on android operating system.

Some users of the G Watch are reporting issues with corrosion of the metal contacts on the charging pins.The issue seems to occur primarily after long periods of exercise where the user has been sweating. This is because sweat contains salt, an electrolyte which dissolves and forms ions which allows the liquid sweat to better conduct electricity. This sweat forming around the contact pins causes galvanic corrosion as a result of chemical reaction where an oxide coating is formed. Some owners have also noted feelings of discomfort while wearing the watch, and in a couple of instances, burns on their skin. These problems have been attributed to a constant electrical current running through two of the metal contacts. The issue seems to affect the terminal pins on the watch’s back—some reported corrosion was so bad the device couldn’t be charged.

Initially it sounded like the company was unwilling to take responsibility for the problem, but LG apparently realized that wasn’t the best PR strategy, so it has decided to roll out an over-the-air update to smooth things over.

If you’re the owner of an LG G Watch look for the software build number KMV78Y (which replaces the equally catchy KMV78V).

LG Statement added: 

“While completely safe and unlikely to affect charging, LG will be rolling out a maintenance release over the next few days that will disable the current when the G Watch is not in the charging dock. The maintenance release will be rolled out automatically over-the-air to all G Watch owners. We thank G Watch users for their patience and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.”