Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iPhone 6 Plus and its smaller sibling don’t perform as usual if you attach magnetic or metal add-ons and accessories. Many users have reported issues with the NFC and camera of the new iPhones when the accessories contain metal or magnets, such as camera lens attachments. The Cupertino company seems to be aware of the issue.
Apple advises users to avoid metal, magnetic accessories
Apple quietly updated its support document, warning users against accessories that use metal or magnet components. But most users are unaware of the issue when buying accessories that might cause problems for their iPhone 6 Plus. According to 9to5Mac, Apple has asked accessory makers in its MFi program to avoid the use of magnets and metal.
They cause problems with the iPhone 6 Plus optical image stabilization (OIS), affecting the performance of the camera. Magnetic and metal interference also leads to problems with the NFC performance. NFC is used to make payments through Apple Pay. The tech giant has asked accessory makers not to use magnets or metal in accessories of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Magnetic accessories also affect the compass in iPhone 6 Plus
Previously, Apple had warned manufacturers in its MFi program about metal or magnets to avoid interference with the smartphone’s compass. But NFC and camera are the much more widely used features than compass in the iPhone 6 Plus. Users began to notice the problems following the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in September, but they were unaware of the cause.
This video shows an example of the iPhone 6 Plus camera issue with a magnetic lens accessory. Users want to be able to quickly attach and detach lenses. Reviewer Blunty found that attaching the magnetic lens to the iPhone causes the optical image stabilization to go awry. The only solution, for now, is to avoid such accessories. It would be interesting to see if Apple can find a way to shield its smartphone components from metallic and magnetic components.
Apple shares gained 0.79% to $110.60 in pre-market trading Monday.
