Apple says vibration from motorcycles can damage iPhone cameras

Wait to buy this iPhone holder for your motorcycle. In a new Apple Support post first seen by MacRumors, the tech giant warned that high-amplitude vibrations, “especially those generated by high-powered motorcycle engines” transmitted through the handlebars, can damage the cameras on its phones. As the post notes, this damage can be permanent. A simple Google search will bring up posts from the past few years of users whose cameras have been damaged after mounting their iPhone on their bikes, mostly so they can use it for navigation.

While Apple hasn’t explained why it is issuing a warning now, it has explained why attaching the iPhone to a motorcycle can destroy its camera. The company said that the camera’s optical image stabilization (OIS) and closed-loop autofocus (AF) functions can be damaged by long-term exposure to high-amplitude vibration. A camera’s OIS allows a device’s gyroscope to detect movement. In turn, the gyroscope changes its angle and the lens moves accordingly to avoid blurring when you accidentally move around while taking a photo.

Meanwhile, with closed-loop AF, a phone’s built-in magnetic sensors measure vibrations to compensate for movement, so the lens can be positioned precisely. As MacRumor Notes, all models since iPhone 7 come with both features.

So, Apple says that it is not recommended to connect iPhones to motorcycles with high power or high volume motors. For mopeds and scooters, you might want to purchase a vibration damper mount to reduce the risk of damage – or just use another GPS device to make sure you don’t ruin a device that costs hundreds to over a thousand dollars. .