Since the launch of iPhone 12 models in October, Apple has acknowledged the devices can cause electromagnetic interference with medical devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators, but the company has now shared additional information.
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Apple today added the following paragraph to a related support document:
Medical devices such as implanted pacemakers and defibrillators may contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when in close contact. To avoid potential interactions with these devices, keep your iPhone and MagSafe accessories a safe distance from your device (more than 6 inches apart or more than 12 inches when charging wirelessly). But consult your doctor and the manufacturer of your device for specific guidelines.
While the support document already mentioned “MagSafe Accessories” in the title, Apple has further emphasized that accessories such as the MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger can also interfere with medical devices:
All MagSafe accessories (each sold separately) also include magnets, and the MagSafe charger and MagSafe Duo charger include radios. These magnets and electromagnetic fields can interfere with medical equipment.
Apple continues to argue that while all iPhone 12 models contain more magnets than previous iPhone models, they “are not expected to present a greater risk of magnetic interference to medical devices than previous iPhone models.”
Earlier this month, an article in the Heart Rhythm Journal indicated that iPhone 12 models “may inhibit life-saving therapy in a patient” due to magnetic interference with implanted medical devices. Three Michigan physicians tested this interaction by holding an iPhone 12 near a patient’s implantable cardioverter defibrillator, which the article said immediately entered a “suspended” state for the duration of the test.
“We are thereby highlighting a major public health issue related to the newer generation iPhone 12, which may inhibit potentially life-saving therapy in a patient, especially when the phone is carried in the top pockets,” the doctors wrote. “Medical device manufacturers and implanting physicians must remain vigilant to make patients aware of this important interaction of the iPhone 12 and other smart wearables with their implantable cardiac electronic devices.”
The Heart Rhythm Journal article first surfaced on the Brazilian website MacMagazine.
Apple provides more information in the “Important Safety Information for iPhone” section of the iPhone User Guide.