Apple Lists Products That You Should Keep Away From Pacemakers

Earlier this year, some doctors found that MagSafe charging technology used in Apple’s iPhone 12 could pose a potential risk to those with pacemakers due to the use of strong magnets. The FDA later came to the same conclusion during their own assessment. Now it looks like Apple has since published a list of products that have magnets that could affect pacemakers and other medical devices.

According to Apple, “Under certain conditions, magnets and electromagnetic fields might interfere with medical devices. For example, implanted pacemakers and defibrillators might contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when in close contact.” So far based on what we can see, it pretty much covers all of Apple’s products, even Mac computers like the iMac and the Pro Display XDR.

This isn’t to say that these devices are dangerous, but rather Apple is cautioning that since they do contain magnets, there is a chance of interference. The company advises, “To avoid any potential interactions with these types of medical devices, keep your Apple product a safe distance away from your medical device (more than 6 inches / 15 cm apart or more than 12 inches / 30 cm apart if wirelessly charging).”

To be fair, the FDA advisory had stated that the interference was considered to be low risk, but then again, for a device like a pacemaker that controls your heart, it’s not really something you’d want to play around with anyway.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Medical
Tags: Health, Social Hit