iPhone 12 poses a threat to pacemakers

Apple has officially recognized the increasedpotential risk from using the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max smartphones and MagSafe accessories for certain medical devices. The corresponding message was published on the Apple technical support pages.

Patients with implanted pacemakerswere at risk in case of close contact with smartphones of the iPhone 12 series or MagSafe chargers that entered the market in the fall of 2020. The first to report the threat was a group of doctors who published an article in Heart Rhythm on January 4 warning of a potential threat to iPhone 12 models of “rescue therapy for patients” due to electromagnetic field interference that negatively affects implantable medical devices.

Doctors tested the interaction of the iPhone 12,equipped with magnets to work with MagSafe accessories, on a patient in Minnesota. Placing iPhone 12 near the left chest of a patient with a pacemaker suspended the medical device. The experiment, approved by regulators and physicians, was carried out several times with different positions of the smartphone.

Apple's warning confirms the factthe influence of magnets and electromagnetic fields on medical equipment. At the same time, the company says that the presence of additional magnets (for MagSafe operation) in the new iPhone 12 "will not pose a greater risk of magnetic interference to medical devices than previous iPhone models."

Pacemakers and defibrillators,implanted in patients have sensors that are sensitive to electromagnetic fields in close contact. Therefore, Apple is introducing clear parameters for the distances at which it is safe to hold iPhone 12 devices and MagSafe accessories from implants. This distance is 30 cm for wireless charging and 15 cm for smartphones.

Apple in its message alsowarns people with implantable pacemakers to consult with doctors and medical device manufacturers to determine the impact of iPhone 12 and MagSafe accessories on a particular implant model. The company expressly states that if you suspect that your iPhone or any MagSafe accessory may be affecting your pacemaker, you should immediately stop using your iPhone and MagSafe.