Magnetic accessories can damage the iPhone 6

There are some addons and accessories for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus that involve the use of metal and magnets, such as camera lens attachments for example. While these are convenient solutions for iPhone users who want to be able to quickly attach and detach lenses, it seems that it could cause potential problems for the phone. There have been a smattering of user reports that claims that the use of metal or magnet accessories with the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus could cause interference with the optical image stabilization feature as well as affecting the performance of the NFC feature in the handset. 

Some users have noticed issues with the iPhone 6 Plus camera and NFC on both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, but the cause of the problem— interference from magnets and metal components in accessories— isn’t well documented. The cause of the issue has been noticed by a small number of users online, and Apple does briefly warn users to avoid accessories that use magnets or metal components in a support document quietly updated in the months following the launch of the new iPhones. But it’s not something most users are aware of when purchasing accessories that might end up causing problems for their new iPhone. Behind the scenes Apple has started telling at least accessory makers in its MFi program to avoid using metal and magnets due to the issue with iPhone 6 Plus optical image stabilization, according to sources familiar with Apple’s MFi licensing program. The magnetic interference can also cause problems with NFC performance on the new iPhones, and Apple has now started warning manufacturers in its MFi program with accessories supporting the devices to avoid magnets or metal. Apple previously had a warning for accessory makers about magnets or metal to avoid interference with the iPhone’s compass, a much less used feature than the camera or NFC features affected on the new phones.