An important heads-up for iPhone owners: Apple is warning customers that its smartphones could interfere with medical devices, including pacemakers. In a notice Apple’s Support page Saturday, the company expanded upon previously issued safety information warning users that iPhones contain magnets and radios that emit electromagnetic fields, both of which “may interfere” with medical devices such as implanted pacemakers and defibrillators. The Saturday notice specifically warns users about “the magnets inside” all four iPhone 12 models, as well as MagSafe accessories. Apple notes that iPhone 12 versions contain more magnets than prior iPhone models, but it also said they don’t pose a greater risk of magnetic interference with medical devices than earlier models.

Article Link – https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/25/tech/iphone-12-medical-device-interference/index.html

Discussion Questions:

1. Identify three key takeaways from the article. What did you find most interesting?
2. What is causing the possible interference with medical devices? Can this be avoided?
3. What can smartphone manufacturers do to eliminate this issue in the phones they design in the future?

Source: Clare Duffy, “Apple issues new warning: Keep your iPhone six inches away from your pacemaker”, www.cnn.com , January 25, 2021.