Pleo Delayed: Battery Problems Cited

Submitted by dsk on Tue, 2007-09-11 22:48.

Ugobe has delayed the release of Pleo according to an email sent out by Caleb Chung, co-founder of Ugobe. During pre-production testing, Ugobe discovered that Pleo suffered from a very short battery life as a result of a problem in charging of the battery. They are now going to make the battery packs replaceable and these will need to be charged in a separate external charger. Pleo will thus not ship in October as was scheduled but according to the email, will make it to homes before Christmas. Finally, Ugobe will not be selling any more Pleos on its website as they are "completely sold out" but Pleo will be available at the retail outlets listed here. See the email Ugobe sent out below

Battery Solution Results in a Delay
Dear Pleo™ Fans,


During pre-production testing, the UGOBE™ team encountered some significant problems with Pleo's

battery life. We solved these problems in a way that I think you will appreciate: all Pleos, including First Hatch Pleos, are now
designed to have an easily removable battery and an external charger for the battery. That means that with multiple batteries and chargers, you can keep Pleo going for hours on end. However, implementing this design change will delay
production. We are working hard to make sure everyone who has ordered a Pleo will receive one by the holidays.


I know how much you are looking forward to having Pleo in your life so I know this delay is frustrating. At the same time,

I hope that you are as excited as I am about this design change. I'll post some video or photos soon, so you can see it yourself. Your enthusiasm for Pleo continues to be an inspiration as we work through these challenges to deliver
the life form we've all been waiting for. 


We'll update you in a few weeks - as soon as we know more about when we can ship. If you have any questions, take a look at the FAQs below. And make sure to stop by PleoWorld.com to see our new webisodes and participate in forum
discussions.


Sincerely,

Caleb Chung
FAQS

Q: How does the external battery and charger work with Pleo?

A: The battery goes in the same place in Pleo as before (his belly), except that now it is designed to be removed

easily and frequently. Once removed, the battery is charged in the external charger, then placed back in Pleo

once fully charged.

Q: Why did you change to the external charger design?

A: As we neared production, we encountered some difficulties with Pleos charging consistently. Combined with the

input you have given us about wanting multiple batteries that were easy to remove and charge, we decided that

solving our charging problems and answering the call for an external charger was paramount.

Q: Why are you delaying shipment?

A: In pre-production testing we encountered problems getting Pleo to charge correctly. Implementing design

changes to resolve the charging issue has led to the delay. We're working hard to make sure everyone who has

ordered a Pleo will receive one by Christmas time.

Q: What do you mean when you say that Pleo will arrive "by the holidays"?

A: Integrating the necessary changes into the Pleo design has pushed back production, and we are unable to

ship Pleo in October as planned. However, you will receive your Pleo by Christmas time.

We felt it was best to let you know of the delay as soon as possible.

Q. Can I still order a Pleo and receive it before Christmas?

A: After the success with pre-orders, UGOBE.com has completely sold out of Pleos, however our
retail partners

still have Pleo allocations available.

Still have questions?
Contact us.

®2007 UGOBE, Inc., All Rights Reserved.
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