LG updates the G Watch to fix corrosion issue

If you’ve purchased an LG G Watch recently, or were one of the lucky attendees at Google’s I/O conference to get the wearable for free, you may have noticed that the device’s bottom charging connectors are prone to corrosion. Users have complained that the corrosion is causing them discomfort (due to the metal-to-skin contact), as well as problems with charging the device; some users aren’t able to get their smartwatches to charge at all.

Oh the perils of being an early adopter. LG may have been one of the very first manufacturers to market with an Android Wear smartwatch, but was the launch deadline of Google’s I/O event a little sooner than the manufacturer would have liked? Some users of the G Watch are reporting issues with corrosion of the metal contacts on the charging pins, particular after exercise. It appears that sweat from some Android smartwatch wearers is forming an oxide coating on the pins because of the salt it contains. LG is leaping to the rescue, however, with an over-the-air update that cuts power from the charging pins when they aren’t in use. This should prevent the chemical reaction from occurring and stop any additional corrosion. If you’re the owner of an LG G Watch look for the software build number KMV78Y (which replaces the equally catchy KMV78V). The update should also solve the problems some users have been having with skin irritation.