The incredible momentum behind our Luna Display Kickstarter campaign has been a huge inspiration for our team. Since our campaign closed last October, we’ve been working nonstop to prepare for Luna production. Some of our major milestones from the last few months include:
- Establishing a manufacturing partner, setting up our factory for production, and running a successful 200-unit manufacturing test
- Conducting the first round of beta testing and collecting extensive feedback
- Placing the full order for Luna’s hardware components
We are optimistic about this progress, but we are also realizing that we need more time to get Luna in your hands. It’s important that we maintain complete transparency to our backer community, so we want to be upfront with you about our updated timeline.
Backers and pre-order customers will receive their orders by the 2018 winter holidays
Due to changes in our production timeline, we are now expecting to deliver all orders by the 2018 winter holiday season. We hope to start deliveries on a rolling basis sooner than the winter holidays, but we cannot guarantee any expedited delivery at this time. Before our Kickstarter, it was difficult to estimate how long it would take to manufacture and ship Luna because we didn’t know how big the demand for Luna was. But now that we have clarity around the demand, we are able to make a more accurate timeline for Luna. We want to be clear that this delay is not indicative of fundamental engineering problems with Luna. To help clarify, we’ve outlined the specific reasons for this shipping delay.
Reasons for the delay
1. It took time to find and build a relationship with a manufacturing partner
On the day that our Kickstarter ended back in October, our cofounder Giovanni arrived in China to meet with a potential manufacturing partner. It was critical that we find a trustworthy partner that could guarantee our quality standards. Before we ever signed a contract with our Manufacturing Team, Giovanni took two trips to China to meet with them in person, exchanged countless emails, and ran multiple manufacturing test runs. When we made our production timeline before the Kickstarter, we didn’t account for the time it would take to build this relationship. But today, our partnership with our Manufacturing Team is solid, and we feel confident about moving forward.
2. We ran extensive testing across all supported Mac models
Before we were ready to place the order for components, we needed to feel confident with Luna’s circuit board design. Finalizing the design required verification that Luna was compatible across all supported Mac models. In this testing process, we found some issues with the Mini DisplayPort circuit board that required some investigation. This investigation took some time, but we were able to address the issues and confidently move forward with placing the component order.
3. Some component lead times are longer than anticipated
When we placed the order for Luna’s hardware components last month, we learned that the lead time for certain hardware components is now 18 weeks. In our original timeline for Luna production, we optimistically based our shipping date off of an order size that fulfilled our Kickstarter campaign goal of $30,000.
But due to the overwhelming success of our Kickstarter, our order size is much larger than we accounted for in our timeline. A larger order size means longer lead times — and a longer production timeline.
We’re taking deliberate steps to prevent further delays
To avoid any more changes to our timeline, we’re taking these precautionary measures:
- Maintaining close communication with our Manufacturing Team: When we were first establishing our manufacturing partnership, we made sure to prioritize quality work and transparent communication. Today, we feel confident in our relationship with our Manufacturing Team and trust that they will maintain openness about our production timeline.
- Continued beta testing: We’re moving forward with the next round of beta testing using the 200 units from last month’s manufacturing test run. While we feel confident about Luna’s engineering integrity, we are double-checking our work to make sure that Luna functions properly on every Mac model.
Frequently Asked Questions
We understand that our new timeline might not work for you, so we’ve compiled some frequently asked questions about making changes to your Luna order:
Will Luna Display require more funding?
No, we’ve been very careful with the funds we raised from our backers and we are in a good position to head into production.
Should I worry about the Luna project not being completed?
Not at all! We are as determined as ever to ship Luna Display and get it in your hands. We’ve been sending Luna Display units out to beta testers and the feedback has been really positive. Our focus now is on maintaining quality and reliability while scaling from a few hundred units to the 10,000 units we need to produce.
Why didn’t you tell us about the delay sooner?
We just determined that a delay is necessary this month. After taking into account the further testing we want to do, and the component delays, we realized a delay was necessary to deliver the quality product our backers deserve. As soon as we had a plan, we prepared this update to keep you informed.
Can I cancel my pledge and get a refund?
We’d hate to see you go! We’ve been testing Luna Display prototypes and it’s been incredible to use, we really think you’re going to like it! However, if you still want a refund we can help you with that, please email us at support@astro-hq.com and let us know your backer information.
How can I update my shipping address or change the model of Luna Display?
Please visit https://lunadisplay.backerkit.com/ and enter your backer email address. You’ll get an email with a link that allows you to change your shipping information, and whether you’d like the USB-C or Mini DisplayPort model of Luna Display.
In what order will Luna Display units be sent?
We will send out Luna Display units in the order that they were placed, starting with our earliest backers. Once backers have been fulfilled, we will send units to people that have pre-ordered via our website in the order that those orders were made.
Why did you choose to manufacture in China?
We evaluated manufacturing partners in the United States, Mexico and China but ultimately opted to work with a manufacturer in China. Not only was the Chinese manufacturer the most efficient, but they were the best equipped to deal with the tiny electronics in Luna Display. Some of Luna’s components are also used in smartphones, and Chinese manufactures are experts at working with those parts. Companies like Apple choose to manufacture in China for the same reason.
Thank you for believing in us — we promise to stay open and honest with you
We appreciate your patience as we work to get Luna to you as soon as possible. We’ve learned a lot over the past few months, and we’re so grateful that our Kickstarter community has believed in us along this journey.
As we work through the changes to our production timeline, we are committed to open and honest communication with our Kickstarter community. If you have any questions or concerns, we can always be reached at luna@astro-hq.com. We read every message and take your feedback seriously.
