Earlier this month three doctors from the Henry Ford Heart and Vascular Institute published a paper detailing how smartphones with magnets inhibit life-saving therapy machines like pacemakers, defibrillators, and other implants. The paper reveals that this research was triggered by the launch of the iPhone 12 that comes with MagSafe magnets since the researchers found out that an iPhone 12 kicked a defibrillator implant into a suspended state when it got near the device.
Even though Apple, for the past two weeks, has been maintaining that the extra number of magnets should not increase the risks of inhibiting therapy machines as compared to past iPhone models, it has updated a support document to warn against the iPhone 12 and MagSafe accessories to be on the safe side.
The document informs the users that MagSafe accessories and the iPhone 12 should be kept at least six inches away in regular use, or at least a foot away if the iPhone is wirelessly charging. This will not be an issue if you keep your iPhone in your pants’ pocket. However, in case you have a therapy machine implanted, avoid placing your iPhone in your shirt or coat pockets, and don’t let the phone rest on your chest when you’re lounging on the couch. All-in-all, be mindful of where you are putting your phone.
