Is the Apple Watch's display magnet-proof?

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I got my Sport 38mm in today and I'm loving it! It's truly an amazing piece of technology, especially considering it's only a version 1.0 product.

Anyway, tonight I got thinking... and I realize this isn't the smartest thing to do, but I wanted to try it anyway. Do you think the included MagSafe connector can interfere with the Apple Watch's display? I did touch the two together a few times and noticed it displayed the notifications when showing the main watch face view and it also made the screen move around as if I was touching it with my finger.

Yes, not the smartest thing to do, but you can't blame me for being curious — especially since Apple's own adapter uses a magnet. You have to assume they set it up this way so it can't actually damage the watch.

Being a wearable and all, there are going to be some points in life where our Apple Watches come in contact with questionable objects. Thoughts?

 

[Tycho24]

I got my Sport 38mm in today and I'm loving it! It's truly an amazing piece of technology, especially considering it's only a version 1.0 product.

Anyway, tonight I got thinking... and I realize this isn't the smartest thing to do, but I wanted to try it anyway. Do you think the included MagSafe connector can interfere with the Apple Watch's display? I did touch the two together a few times and noticed it displayed the notifications when showing the main watch face view and it also made the screen move around as if I was touching it with my finger.

Yes, not the smartest thing to do, but you can't blame me for being curious — especially since Apple's own adapter uses a magnet. You have to assume they set it up this way so it can't actually damage the watch.

Being a wearable and all, there are going to be some points in life where our Apple Watches come in contact with questionable objects. Thoughts?

I think they made most tech impervious to light magnetics some years back...

 

[p0intblank]

I think they made most tech impervious to light magnetics some years back...

I'm curious as to why the display moved around as if I was touching it? Could it have been some slight form of interference?

 

[Tycho24]

I'm curious as to why the display moved around as if I was touching it? Could it have been some slight form of interference?

Electrical interference, for sure....
DAMAGING, no.
Some electronics flicker if you get a phone call, when your iPhone is near.
I honestly would lose no sleep.

 

[p0intblank]

Electrical interference, for sure....
DAMAGING, no.
Some electronics flicker if you get a phone call, when your iPhone is near.
I honestly would lose no sleep.

Alright, that makes sense. I was simply curious. I assume that Apple wouldn't include an adapter that is harmful to its own device. If damage is not an issue, then I won't worry about it.

As a side note to anyone who is curious, I have small wrists and I do think 38mm is too small. Thankfully, I have a 42mm still in its processing stage, so I look forward to seeing the size difference!

 

[Tycho24]

Alright, that makes sense. I was simply curious. I assume that Apple wouldn't include an adapter that is harmful to its own device. If damage is not an issue, then I won't worry about it.

As a side note to anyone who is curious, I have small wrists and I do think 38mm is too small. Thankfully, I have a 42mm still in its processing stage, so I look forward to seeing the size difference!

*eek!*
I have a 38mm on order.
I hope it fits, because there's NO WAY I'm getting back in queue, lol.

 

[gr8tfly]

Try it with gloves on to eliminate the possibility that your own body capacitance is being detected, though I don't think the Sport's charger is conductive.

If the movement on the display is more on the erratic side, it could be interference caused by the near-field RF generated by the charger transmitter. Best I can find out is it runs at ~150KHz – I'm going to measure it sometime soon for my own edification, though my wife is curious as to how the charger works too (both of us being eng. geeks after all). I'm not sure what the scan frequency is of the touch display, but I suppose it's possible for its signal amps to pick up the charger. There's nothing to worry about in any event. Devices are designed to reject outside RFI as much as possible.

 

[p0intblank]

Try it with gloves on to eliminate the possibility that your own body capacitance is being detected, though I don't think the Sport's charger is conductive.

If the movement on the display is more on the erratic side, it could be interference caused by the near-field RF generated by the charger transmitter. Best I can find out is it runs at ~150KHz – I'm going to measure it sometime soon for my own edification, though my wife is curious as to how the charger works too (both of us being eng. geeks after all). I'm not sure what the scan frequency is of the touch display, but I suppose it's possible for its signal amps to pick up the charger. There's nothing to worry about in any event. Devices are designed to reject outside RFI as much as possible.

Wow! That's quite the detailed reply. Thanks for the info! I suppose it was kind of dumb of me to try my little "test," but I couldn't help and be curious. I did it for... science.

 

[gr8tfly]

Wow! That's quite the detailed reply. Thanks for the info! I suppose it was kind of dumb of me to try my little "test," but I couldn't help and be curious. I did it for... science.

Yw. Hey, I would have too! Just hadn't occurred to me to try that! My wife and I started talking about it when she asked about its water proofing. (My thought is that even though the charger head is pretty well potted with plastic (iFixit has a tear down), I would avoid getting it wet and would definitely let it dry before using it. I think Apple's safety tips are much more stringent and should probably be followed.)

 

[p0intblank]

Yw. Hey, I would have too! Just hadn't occurred to me to try that! My wife and I started talking about it when she asked about its water proofing. (My thought is that even though the charger head is pretty well potted with plastic (iFixit has a tear down), I would avoid getting it wet and would definitely let it dry before using it. I think Apple's safety tips are much more stringent and should probably be followed.)

Oh, I agree. I see my Apple Watch getting mildly wet when doing things like washing dishes, getting caught in the rain, etc... but I never see myself taking this into the shower with me, or even in the pool. That's where I draw the line!