The iPhone 12 series was officially announced in October. Apple already acknowledged at the time that the devices could cause electromagnetic interference with medical devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators. But now there is additional information, including regarding MagSafe accessories.
Apple has now updated a support document and shared additional information regarding the iPhone 12 series with MagSafe accessories and medical devices. In the added paragraph is called it:
Apple warns about MagSafe accessories
Medical devices such as implanted pacemakers and defibrillators may contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when in close contact. To avoid potential interaction with these devices, keep your iPhone and MagSafe accessories a safe distance from your device (more than 15 cm / 6 inches, or more than 30 cm / 12 inches when charging wirelessly), but consult your doctor and device manufacturer for specific guidelines.
While the support document already mentions “MagSafe accessories” in the title, Apple emphasizes that accessories such as the MagSafe Charger and the MagSafe Duo Charger can also interfere with medical devices:
All MagSafe accessories (each sold separately) also contain magnets—and the MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger contain radios. These magnets and electromagnetic fields can interfere with medical devices.
Apple continues to claim that while all iPhone 12 models contain more magnets than previous iPhone models, they pose no greater risk than older iPhones.
iPhone 12 can prevent “life-saving therapy”
However, earlier this month, an article in Heart Rhythm Journal pointed out that iPhone 12 models "may potentially prevent a patient's life-saving therapy" 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 entered a "suspended" state for the duration of the test. The doctors wrote:
We are hereby alerting you to an important public health concern related to the newer generation iPhone 12 that has the potential to prevent a patient from receiving life-saving therapy, particularly when the phone is carried in the upper pocket. Medical device manufacturers and implanting physicians should remain vigilant and alert patients to this significant interaction of the iPhone 12 and other smart wearables with their cardiac implantable electronic devices.
If you need further information, you can find it in the section “Important safety information for iPhone“. (Photo by Denys Prykhodov / Bigstockphoto)
