A new study published by cardiologists indicates that the iPhone 12 can interfere with a pacemaker if the phone is placed close to a patient’s heart. But the study, which was designed to see if the magnetic matrix that enables the new iPhone 12 MagSafe charging technology had an effect on implantable cardioverter defibrillators (or ICDs), raises more questions than answers.
Newer Apple iPhones have a circular array of magnets built into their backs, which allows them to fit on a MagSafe charging disc or compatible accessory (such as a phone case). But pacemakers have a switch that can be turned off with an external magnetic field, and when researchers at the Henry Ford Heart and Vascular Institute placed an iPhone 12 above the heart of a patient with an implanted Medtronic pacemaker, pacemaker operations were suspended every times.
“As soon as the iPhone was brought closer to the ICD over the left chest area, immediate suspension of ICD therapies was observed, which persisted during the test,” the study authors, published last week in HeartRhythm, Write. “This was reproduced several times with different positions of the phone in the pocket.”
Like 9to5Mac grades, Apple recognizes this is a risk: “The iPhone contains magnets, as well as components and radios that emit electromagnetic fields. These magnets and electromagnetic fields can interfere with medical devices, such as pacemakers and defibrillators. Although all iPhone 12 models contain more magnets than previous iPhone models, they are not expected to pose a greater risk of magnetic interference in medical devices than previous iPhone models. “
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So the question remains whether the iPhone 12 is more likely to interfere with a pacemaker than other devices. The researchers pointed to studies indicating that smartphones without the type of magnetic matrix found on the latest iPhone have a low risk of interfering with ICDs, but also noted that devices such as fitness trackers also disabled a pacemaker. More research is needed, preferably testing a wider range of phones and more ICDs, to determine whether the iPhone 12 is more risky to use for patients with pacemakers than other phones.
Due to the way pacemakers are designed, they can be easily activated (or deactivated) by environmental sources with magnetic fields, including a Fitbit or a Vape pen, according to the medical news service Medical Xpress. This need not be the case, but changing it will require medical device manufacturers to redesign their pacemakers.
Until further research is done, if you have a pacemaker and also have an iPhone 12 – or any device that includes magnets – consult your doctor to see how far they recommend that you keep the device away from your heart. At the very least, you may not want to use the phone in your pocket directly on your chest.