Apple Products that can affect your devices.

Deeper digging.....

by Bionic Beat - 2021-06-28 21:35:54

There is no warning on the Apple dot com website about this, so I called them.

If you go to the Apple website and look under Support, you can find their article, dated May 17,  2021 with the list of products.

More....

by Bionic Beat - 2021-06-28 21:38:04

Thank you ar-vin.  

I really appreciate you posting the list and article.  

Bionic Beat

CYA

by AgentX86 - 2021-06-28 23:41:59

That's all CYA stuff.  We're all told not to put cell phones, and such, in our shirt pocket.  I was also told not to sleep on high-end headphones, like I'd planned to.

Worse, it lists so much stuff that people's eyes will glaze over and ignore what may be more important.  This looks to me like cover for the iPhone-12 bad press.

what to take seriously

by Tracey_E - 2021-06-29 10:39:39

The only one on the list I would be wary of is the Iphone12.  There have been some documented problems with pacers and the new wireless charging. Everything else on that is either old news (newer pacers are better shielded than their predecessors) or CYA from the lawyers. The others do have magnets, that's why they're on the list, but the magnets are too small to cause interference. When in doubt, keep it 6" away. 

When Ipads first came out, I had a magnetic case on it and took it to a pacer check to see if we could get it to interfere. We could not. I regularly run with my phone tucked in my sports bra right over my pacer. I've fallen asleep with my ipad on my chest. No issues. 

just a magnet

by dwelch - 2021-06-29 22:42:56

Pacers have had a magnet mode forever and will continue to, this day and age it is not really possible to change that, which is why they havent yet.  This is the same reason why you dont put strong fridge magnets or anything else above your device.  As tracey mentioned the iphone12 is probably the only one relevant here and as with any other magnet of that strength do not put it over your device.   I think it is funny the article I read (a while ago this is not late breaking news), that the apple folks were uneducated enough to not understand how pacers work, they are far simpler than phones.  Blaming the medical industry for your stupid design makes you look stupid.  Likewise the journalist that thought this was gloom and doom, etc etc.  The whole thing is comical.

The field goes like the surface of a sphere one over 4 times the radius squared, every inch further away the field is significantly stronger, that is why 6 inches for something like this is okay.

If you choose to buy one of these phones there are a great number of other things you need to keep them away from.  Will see what kind of a disaster this is for apple and if their PR department can continue to blame every one elses designs rather than accept the failure themselves.  Apple strives on bad press, it has been a staple of their existence.  its free.  So take this for what it is, free advertising for apple, nothing more.

Apple Products

by amanda_shanti - 2021-06-30 06:04:35

I use many Apple products and many of them are on the list. So far, I haven't experienced any problems. I checked with my doctor and Pacemaker tech person, they said as long as I keep those devices 6 inches (12 inches when charging) away from my PM, it would be okay.

Recently, I upgraded my iPad to the new iPad Pro and iPhone 8 to iPhone 12 Pro. My PM is Biotronik, I checked their website and found they said it's okay to use iPhone 12, just ensure to keep the specified distance.

To be safe, I avoid any magnets case/watch band and not using any wireless charger.

It's a bit difficult to avoid using any electronic device nowadays, especially a mobile phone, tablet and computer. Even you're not using it, someone may use it nearby/close to you, like in the crowded train/tube. So, check with your PM / ICD company if you have any doubt.

https://news.biotronik.com/statement-on-apple-iphone-12-and-biotronik-devices/

Magnets in Apple devices is no big deal

by DouglasRachac - 2021-06-30 15:32:50

I helped write a blog posting for the Sudden Cardiac Arrest foundation, UK branch titled "Is Apple Trying to Kill Us?"  The short answer is no.  You can find it here:  https://www.suddencardiacarrestuk.org/2021/01/is-apple-trying-to-kill-us/

I think it highly unlikely or rare that any of these products would cause trouble

by asully - 2021-07-03 03:21:31

I remember when I received my first pacemaker I got curious and did a bunch of digging into what it takes to mess them up.  I felt like any magnetic device might cause me harm with all the warnings you see. What I discovered is it's usually a "just in case" CYA liability thing.  Even a strong magnet would only put it in "safe mode" aka "magnet mode".  I haven't read much in the new iPhones probably due to the fact I'm still rocking an iPhone 6 (the thing just won't break!). Back when I was doing all my digging I did get curious and wondered what an EMP would do to pacemakers, to my surprise the military had already tested this!  And the results said it was highly unlikely to cause interference and if it did it would be a very brief disruption.  I may go see if I can dig up this study just for curiosity's sake again lol.