Apple Elaborates on Potential for iPhone 12 and MagSafe Accessories to Interfere With Implantable Medical Devices

[ryuworks]

if you buy any normal case (without MagSafe support) for the iPhone 12, the strength of the magnets actually decreased so much that those numbers should be halved. But of course the world is just looking for reasons to hate on anything Apple 24/7.

Also, there are magnets everywhere in the world. You put at least two of them in your ears when you are listening to music.

Maybe the real issue is that it is high time for the medical world to make a breakthrough in pacemaker tech.

 

[svanstrom]

Errr, if you buy any normal case (without MagSafe support) for the iPhone 12, the strength of the magnets actually decreased so much that those numbers should be halved. But of course the world is just looking for reasons to hate on anything Apple 24/7.

What's the hate in pointing out that using a device wrong could kill some people?

The collective consciousness has apparently forgotten that these devices by themselves have always been considered a danger to certain medical equipment; so it seems like the perfect time to remind us now that a whole new generation of extra dangerous phones are out there.

 

[ryuworks]

What's the hate in pointing out that using a device wrong could kill some people?

The collective consciousness has apparently forgotten that these devices by themselves have always been considered a danger to certain medical equipment; so it seems like the perfect time to remind us now that a whole new generation of extra dangerous phones are out there.

No wrong in that, but the truth is that some people here make it into an issue that Apple implementing a useful feature to many Is wrong and that everything Apple sells is bad. Like your usual macrumors forum crowd.

 

[harmoniumfarfisa]

Actually shocking that they announced magnets and nobody blinked. Magnets and electronics are uh, you know, known to have a delicate relationship.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Never thought I’d live to see the day that a major phone manufacturer had to tell people to be careful not to accidentally kill them selves with their phones...

Never thought I’d see the day that this would be Apple - considering their expertise with accessibility and related healthy ecosystem - like they didn’t test or reach out to partners on this Or licensees?

 

[DeepIn2U]

Actually shocking that they announced magnets and nobody blinked. Magnets and electronics are uh, you know, known to have a delicate relationship.

Reminds me of that late 80’s cartoon ‘X-Men’ where Magneto says

“Don’t you know that electricity and magnetism are related? And I thought you go to The School” lol.

 

[rikscha]

Source?

Anyway, the whole point of MagSafe is that the connector at the bottom of the phone is irrelevant. So your wild assumption about Apple's motivation wouldn't quite make sense even if it were true.

It is a reference to the perhaps upcoming changes in the EU that will dictate a uniform connector across all phones. He meant apple is removing the connector and goes wireless to circumvent this and identifies this as the sole reason of magsafe’s existence

 

[svanstrom]

Actually shocking that they announced magnets and nobody blinked. Magnets and electronics are uh, you know, known to have a delicate relationship.

People nowadays treat it as if magnets are some super weapon that will make any and all electronics die just as sure as an atombomb had gone off; but they completely forget how regular old spinning hard drives work.

For instance, the first iPods could easily wipe magnetic stripe cards; like credit cards.

 

[Boyyai]

I wonder if the phone magnets would have any interference with cochlear implants.

Magnets are not supposed to go near any life saving implants because those implants have tiny metal parts on it. So it is a thing of common sense that magnets will have some form of interference with those metals. Hope Apple comes back to its senses before people actually die because of iphone. I was skeptical about this magsafe implementation way back when the iPhone 12 was launched.

 

[sevoneone]

In my honest opinion, there needs to be a warning about the magnets and risk of contact with medical devices on the box. Louis Rossmann made a pretty good video on just that, actually. If you have the time, I’d suggest watching it. It’s a great piece.

Everyone saying this is nothing new needs to watch Louis’ video, because he lays out pretty clearly why MagSafe is a concern...

Implantable devices have to be controllable outside the body, so you have to be able to control them remotely, via RF. To make sure they are secure and that someone/something can’t put you in cardiac arrest from across the room. There is a physical component in the form of a magnetic sensor, probably a series of sensors, that when triggered make the device susceptible to new programming.

From what I understand, it is not the EMF or RF interference alone... It is the combination of the magnets and the RF handshaking signals MagSafe is sending out when it thinks there is a charger or accessory to connect with. That combination is not something that has been common in consumer electronics until now and presents a much higher danger than casual interference from older devices. There is a big difference between “getting too close to a radio or magnet has a slight chance of malfunction” and “advertently or inadvertently aligning this device with a medical implant WILL cause the device to stop functioning normally.”

At minimum, it should require a new warning and extra awareness.

In all, it seems like an honest mistake. No one needs to be throwing shame on Apple. Every new technology has risks of some sort. How they an other people respond to it is more important than casting blame. It will make future technology safer, and could even lead to future advances.

 

[ginkobiloba]

A bit strange that a company that is trying to get big in the health sector didn’t predict this.

 

[UBS28]

It should be called MagUnSafe.

 

[ksec]

Never thought I’d see the day that this would be Apple - considering their expertise with accessibility and related healthy ecosystem - like they didn’t test or reach out to partners on this Or licensees?

I think it is just an oversight. In the old days I think this is big enough for Steve to Call off any more MagSafe on future iPhone products.

Modern Apple typically take 5 years to admit any mistakes, as with Mac Pro and MacBook.

 

[Tulani]

maybe Apple can offer a non-magnetic flagship iPhone
and give people the choice

MagSafe has not been fully embraced by some anyway even not necessarily because of health concern

 

[wirefire]

Nothing to see here. Really. Pacemakers for some time have had magnetic interfaces for diagnostics. It beats the hell out of opening someone up to change settings on a pacemaker....

of course anything with a reasonably strong magnet can internet interfere with the device. If you don’t realize you can’t slap your MagSafe device, especially the charger, on your chest near the pacemaker.... well, it may end poorly for you and that is not Apple’s or the pacemaker manufacturer’s fault

 

[macsareveryinteresting]

So............... how are these not safe?

 

[grjj]

One has never been recommended to carry any device such as a smart phone or anything magnetic in your upper pockets with any chest implanted electronic device. That has always been the case. Just like you don't go through metal detectors or let TSA wand you.

^^^This
The people who get these devices are fully warned and aware of the risks of EMI with the implanted device.
This could be a well intentioned call-out that a device you've used for, perhaps, 13 years has suddenly changed and you should pay more attention to how you use it, or it could be an obscure group/journal trying to increase their visibility to the world.

 

[RA$7065]

Since the launch of iPhone 12 models in October, Apple has acknowledged that the devices may cause electromagnetic interference with medical devices like pacemakers and defibrillators, but the company has now shared additional information.

Apple added the following paragraph to a related support document today:While the support document already mentioned "MagSafe accessories" in the title, Apple has further emphasized that accessories like the MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger may also interfere with medical devices:Apple continues to state that while all iPhone 12 models contain more magnets than prior iPhone models, they are "not expected to pose a greater risk of magnetic interference to medical devices than prior iPhone models."

Earlier this month, an article in the Heart Rhythm Journal indicated that iPhone 12 models can "potentially inhibit lifesaving therapy in a patient" due to magnetic interference with implantable medical devices. Three doctors in Michigan tested this interaction by holding an iPhone 12 near a patient's implantable cardioverter defibrillator, which immediately went into a "suspended" state for the duration of the test, according to the article.

"We hereby bring an important public health issue concerning the newer generation iPhone 12 which can potentially inhibit lifesaving therapy in a patient particularly while carrying the phone in upper pockets," the doctors wrote. "Medical device manufacturers and implanting physicians should remain vigilant in making patients aware of this significant interaction of the iPhone 12 and other smart wearables with their cardiac implantable electronic devices."

The article in the Heart Rhythm Journal was first surfaced by Brazilian website MacMagazine.

Apple provides more information in the "Important safety information for iPhone" section of the iPhone User Guide.

Article Link: Apple Elaborates on Potential for iPhone 12 and MagSafe Accessories to Interfere With Implantable Medical Devices

Since the launch of iPhone 12 models in October, Apple has acknowledged that the devices may cause electromagnetic interference with medical devices like pacemakers and defibrillators, but the company has now shared additional information.

Apple added the following paragraph to a related support document today:While the support document already mentioned "MagSafe accessories" in the title, Apple has further emphasized that accessories like the MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger may also interfere with medical devices:Apple continues to state that while all iPhone 12 models contain more magnets than prior iPhone models, they are "not expected to pose a greater risk of magnetic interference to medical devices than prior iPhone models."

Earlier this month, an article in the Heart Rhythm Journal indicated that iPhone 12 models can "potentially inhibit lifesaving therapy in a patient" due to magnetic interference with implantable medical devices. Three doctors in Michigan tested this interaction by holding an iPhone 12 near a patient's implantable cardioverter defibrillator, which immediately went into a "suspended" state for the duration of the test, according to the article.

"We hereby bring an important public health issue concerning the newer generation iPhone 12 which can potentially inhibit lifesaving therapy in a patient particularly while carrying the phone in upper pockets," the doctors wrote. "Medical device manufacturers and implanting physicians should remain vigilant in making patients aware of this significant interaction of the iPhone 12 and other smart wearables with their cardiac implantable electronic devices."

The article in the Heart Rhythm Journal was first surfaced by Brazilian website MacMagazine.

Apple provides more information in the "Important safety information for iPhone" section of the iPhone User Guide.

Article Link: Apple Elaborates on Potential for iPhone 12 and MagSafe Accessories to Interfere With Implantable Medical Devices

I have experienced very significant issues with an iPhone 12 Pro Max and my pacemaker. I would like to have a personal conversation with Louis Rossmann. Can anyone provide an email address?

 

[Derek Knight]

Pops now has a defibrillator device in his body. He got it after a (very) sudden heart failure episode. Dropped like a rock when he was out getting ready for his senior's softball game. Luckily he plays with some retired firefighters and they knew what to do to keep his heart going (he broke 2 ribs from the CPR). I got him an iPhone 12 Pro last year. Gonna call him and tell him don't lay the thing on your chest while watching TV. He loves the phone so we are keeping it. Just going to be more careful now.

 

[xnu]

Okay then, that's fine Apple, just sell me an iPhone 12 with the option not to include MagSafe.

I think it was a decent start to an idea. Though every time I pick my phone up at nite off my MagSafe Duo Charger, my watch flies across the bedroom.. Poor dog ducks and covers every time.

 

[now i see it]

As the iPhone evolves (devolves?) it becomes more and more hazardous to use.
• PWM
• Magnetic Interference

 

[macintoshmac]

The gift that keeps on giving.

 

[svanstrom]

As the iPhone evolves (devolves?) it becomes more and more hazardous to use.
• PWM
• Magnetic Interference

Did you in 2001 also call out Apple for releasing their "hazardous" device the iPod (which also contains magnets strong enough to wipe credit cards etc)?

 

[litmag01]

So this is why Apple added the ECG feature to their watches.

 

[HiVolt]

Source?

Anyway, the whole point of MagSafe is that the connector at the bottom of the phone is irrelevant. So your wild assumption about Apple's motivation wouldn't quite make sense even if it were true.

Well they've been fighting the EU on implementing USB-C. My guess (and not only mine, btw), is that they will get rid of the lightning port at some point, and it will only be wireless charging, but with a twist...

You'll be able to charge at slower rates with QI compatible chargers as you can now, but if accessory makers want to license the proprietary magsafe authentication for faster charging, they're gonna have to pay up thru the MFI program.

By then Apple is probably hoping that wireless will be ubiquitous enough that the EU will get off their backs about USB-C, and they can continue to make their millions from accessories.