Since the launch of the iPhone 12 models in October, Apple has acknowledged that the devices can cause electromagnetic interference with medical devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators, but now the company has shared additional information.
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Apple added the following paragraph to a related supporting document today:
Medical devices such as implanted pacemakers and defibrillators may contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when in close contact. To avoid possible interactions with these devices, keep your iPhone and MagSafe accessories at a safe distance from your device (more than 15 cm away or 30 cm away when charging wirelessly). But consult your doctor and device manufacturer for specific guidelines.
Although the supporting document already mentioned “MagSafe Accessories” in the title, Apple has also stressed that accessories such as the MagSafe Charger and the MagSafe Duo Charger can also interfere with medical devices:
All MagSafe accessories (sold separately) also contain magnets, and MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger contain radios. These magnets and electromagnetic fields can interfere with medical devices.
Apple goes on to say that while all iPhone 12 models contain more magnets than previous iPhone models, “they are not expected to pose a higher risk of magnetic interference in medical devices than previous iPhone models. “.
Earlier this month, an article in the Heart Rhythm Journal indicated that iPhone 12 models could “potentially inhibit rescue therapy in a patient” due to magnetic interference with implantable medical devices. Three Michigan doctors 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.
“At present, we present a major public health issue related to the next-generation iPhone 12, which can inhibit rescue therapy in a patient, especially while carrying the phone in the top pockets,” the doctors wrote. “Medical device manufacturers and implant doctors should remain vigilant to inform patients of this significant interaction of the iPhone 12 and other intelligible equipment with their cardiac implantable electronic devices.”
The Heart Rhythm Journal article first appeared on the Brazilian website MacMagazine.
Apple provides more information in the “Important Safety Information for the iPhone” section of the iPhone User Guide.