IPhone 13 problem with magnets

[gnarlybole]

I recently bought my wife an iPhone 13 to replace her old 2016 SE. For some reason, she prefers a flip case with a magnetic closure over any other type of case. However, Apple recommends you should avoid using any accessory that includes a magnet for fear of compromising the rear camera's OIS. But the iPhone has a ring of Magsafe magnets built into it – so why do they not cause a problem when a flip case closure magnet does?

 

[pm-r]

Apple recommends you should avoid using any accessory that includes a magnet for fear of compromising the rear camera's OIS

Hmmm...??? I assume that must be some new Apple warning as my wife has been using such a case with her iPhone 6s for several years without any problem.

The magnet helps keep the cover closed and puts the iPhone into some sort of sleep mode when it is. She has no problem receiving or sending calls, or camera shots when using such a case.

Maybe it's something new we don't know about:

Google Search

- Patrick
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[gnarlybole]

Same with my wife. But, apparently, a magnet placed to close to the camera can magnetise the gyroscope in the Optical Image Stabilisation system resulting in blurred images. The OIS was first introduced back in iPhone 6, so, in theory, both your wife and mine should have encountered problems. You might imagine that, if the issue was commonplace, third party manufacturers would have stopped making cases with magnetic closures; but they haven't. And Apple have yet to explain why their Magsafe magnets don't create the same problem. All very perplexing.

 

[jpdemers]

I imagine that the problem is limited to strong magnets in close proximity to the camera. A magnetic clasp is not likely to be particularly powerful, and not likely to be anywhere near the camera.

 

[gnarlybole]

You would think so, wouldn't you. But my wife's flip case has a flat bar magnet running along the edge (almost) from top to bottom. So, very near to the camera. I would imagine that, over time, even a weak magnet can magnetise delicate metal components, especially springs.

 

[jpdemers]

What determines whether something gets magnetized is its magnetic coercivity (Coercivity - Wikipedia). Skipping over the physics and math, it basically means that a magnet too weak to magnetize something doesn't gain the ability to do so if you "just give it enough time." Whether this applies to your particular situation, of course, is anybody's guess.
More significant, I think, is that when closed, the flip case magnet is presumably sticking to a metal bar. The magnetic field should be almost entirely constrained to the interior of that bar, with little or no "leakage" beyond it. (You can test this with a paper clip - if a clip sticks to the interior of the closed case, I'd not trust my phone to it.)

 

[gnarlybole]

Some guidance from Apple would be helpful, but I won't hold my breath. I suspect the answer is to buy a different (non-magnetic) kind of case and sidestep the issue completely.

 

[lclev]

I have used this wallet case for my last six iPhones including my current which is an iPhone 13 Pro. The front cover is magnetic. It will hold the front cover closed to cover the front or lay flat against the back when I want to use the phone. I take all kinds of pictures and videos with my phone and am quite adept at holding the front cover out of the way when doing so. I have had no issues with the camera. So either the magnet is not that strong to mess up the camera or it is a non-issue. I vote for non-issue.