Be warned: iPhone 15 users report BMW's wireless phone charger kills its NFC chip

[Cal Jeffrey]

In context: Charging your phone in your car is a convenience that has advanced rapidly. It wasn't long ago that I had to keep a charging cable in my 2017 Toyota Corolla for long trips. My 2022 Subaru Legacy now has wireless charging, and I love it. I just slip my iPhone into the small open compartment on the dash, and it charges while I drive.

Unfortunately, not all in-car wireless chargers are created equal. If you just bought an iPhone 15, avoid using BMW's built-in smartphone pad. Reports have come in that it can fry the phone's NFC chip. Over the past week on MacRumors Forums and X (formerly Twitter), users have reported that Apple Pay ceased functioning after charging their iPhone 15 on the BMW charging pad.

The issue manifests with the phone going into data recovery mode, rebooting, and presenting a "Could not set up Apple Pay" message. Some users report that Apple confirmed that the NFC chip was no longer functioning and had to replace the entire phone since it is an unremovable component. It is unclear if a software patch could prevent the problem.

BMW wireless charging �- iPhone 15 Pro complaints keep rolling in pic.twitter.com/PTe3ZD0t4K

– Joe Rossignol (@rsgnl) October 2, 2023

Although all the complaints have come primarily from iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max users, the issue could extend to the standard and iPhone 15 Plus models. So, until Apple or BMW figure out what is happening and fix the underlying cause, avoid charging your new iPhone with this method. There is no evidence that the problem occurs with older iPhones. However, it may also manifest in cars that use BMW parts, such as the Toyota Supra, one owner claims.

Apple's latest flagship has gotten off to a rough start, particularly with the iPhone Pro and Pro Max models. Shortly after launch, users began reporting that the phones were getting very hot while charging – almost "too hot to touch," with temperatures as high as 48C.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the issue was related to the phone's new thermal design, not its powerful SoC. Apple knows of the situation and will issue a patch soon to curb the overheating without throttling performance.

It's peculiar that both problems are related to the iPhone 15's charging system. It would be interesting to see if patching one problem fixes the other.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/100354-warned-iphone-15-users-report-bmw-wireless-phone.html

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Wirelesscels posting Ls, wired chads stay winning.

Seriously, wires are so simple, way easier on the battery, and charge much faster. Or you could just get a $300 Motorola phone with a battery that will last you 2 days so you don't need to recharge Everytime you sit down.

 

[nnguy2]

But it's made from TITANIUM and you paid a PREMIUM!

 

[m4a4]

Apple confirmed that the NFC chip was no longer functioning and had to replace the entire phone since it is an unremovable component.

Yeahhhhhh, gonna wait on a proper repair shop to weigh in on how "unrepairable" this is before believing Apple here...

 

[Neatfeatguy]

Yeahhhhhh, gonna wait on a proper repair shop to weigh in on how "unrepairable" this is before believing Apple here...

If it's anything like other Apple parts on a phone, it'll have some sort of ID/tag tied to it so if you could replace it, it still may not function because it's not identified as an Apple part.

 

[m4a4]

If it's anything like other Apple parts on a phone, it'll have some sort of ID/tag tied to it so if you could replace it, it still may not function because it's not identified as an Apple part.

I mean, that would just mean that it is technically repairable

 

[Manu Arg]

This might be a very niche problem but after all the reported issues that the new iphones have I wonder how much do they pay to their Quality control department

 

[yRaz]

This might be a very niche problem but after all the reported issues that the new iphones have I wonder how much do they pay to their Quality control department

This is a BMW problem, not an iPhone problem. That said, I'm sticking with my s21+ because this thing is a trooper. It survives commercial construction sites no problem, has a 3 day battery life(in low power mode) and does everything I ask of it bettery than any phone I've ever owned before. I'd love to put a custom distro on it but the other things it offers are good enough to make put it with samsungs garbage custom ROM.

But going back to apple, most cars these days have a wireless charging pad. Subaru and Honda aren't having issues with this, it's BMW. And as a car guy I can say with confidence that BMW hasn't put out a quality vehicle in almost 2 decades. The E39 was the last quality vehicle they made

 

[Manu Arg]

This is a BMW problem, not an iPhone problem. That said, I'm sticking with my s21+ because this thing is a trooper. It survives commercial construction sites no problem, has a 3 day battery life(in low power mode) and does everything I ask of it bettery than any phone I've ever owned before. I'd love to put a custom distro on it but the other things it offers are good enough to make put it with samsungs garbage custom ROM.

But going back to apple, most cars these days have a wireless charging pad. Subaru and Honda aren't having issues with this, it's BMW. And as a car guy I can say with confidence that BMW hasn't put out a quality vehicle in almost 2 decades. The E39 was the last quality vehicle they made

But is there any official report? If bmw is not following the standards for that type of charging then yes, it's their fault but that remains to be seen. Given that, as far as I know, this is only happening with the new iPhone.... The odds are against Apple.

 

[Nobina]

That's what happens when "premium" brands collide. Don't know which is worse.

 

[Puiu]

This is a BMW problem, not an iPhone problem. That said, I'm sticking with my s21+ because this thing is a trooper. It survives commercial construction sites no problem, has a 3 day battery life(in low power mode) and does everything I ask of it bettery than any phone I've ever owned before. I'd love to put a custom distro on it but the other things it offers are good enough to make put it with samsungs garbage custom ROM.

But going back to apple, most cars these days have a wireless charging pad. Subaru and Honda aren't having issues with this, it's BMW. And as a car guy I can say with confidence that BMW hasn't put out a quality vehicle in almost 2 decades. The E39 was the last quality vehicle they made

Given the heat issues reported during normal iPhone 15 Pro charging, I'm going to assume that the BMW wireless charging is heating the phone more than normal and thus frying something inside. It could simply be that BMW has a higher power output compared to Subaru and Honda when wirelessly charging an iPhone.

 

[yRaz]

But is there any official report? If bmw is not following the standards for that type of charging then yes, it's their fault but that remains to be seen. Given that, as far as I know, this is only happening with the new iPhone.... The odds are against Apple.

Given the heat issues reported during normal iPhone 15 Pro charging, I'm going to assume that the BMW wireless charging is heating the phone more than normal and thus frying something inside. It could simply be that BMW has a higher power output compared to Subaru and Honda when wirelessly charging an iPhone.

So I feel that the new iPhone is more sensitive to these issues but I also hold the opinion that BMW's wireless charging is out of spec. I think it's safe to say they are both at fault and I'm certain that, with time, other wireless chargers in cars will slowly kill the new iPhones. However, I don't see any reports of other manufacturers killing the new iPhones. I really only actively keep up with Honda, Subaru and Ford issues and I haven't heard any reports of their wireless charging systems killing iPhones.

But I certainly think the new iPhone has a lower tolerance than other phones for abuse and that BMW's QC issues are making the new iPhone's issues more apparent.

I'm only speculating here, but I think the NFC chip in the new iPhone has an engineering flaw in it where it's picking up the charge from the wireless charging. That the solder joints are acting as a kind of coil/antenna and current is being sent directly into it. I don't know why this problem is specific to BMW but this is a developing story

 

[rmcrys]

But is there any official report? If bmw is not following the standards for that type of charging then yes, it's their fault but that remains to be seen. Given that, as far as I know, this is only happening with the new iPhone.... The odds are against Apple.

Exactly. If all phones have no issues but these series, then it's probably an iPhone 15 series thing UNLESS the wireless charging pad from the BMW + apple car overheated the chip by being too near a hotspot from the car. It's not difficult to think that Apple made the heat shield behind the wireless charging coil too small or thin, and the battery / nfc chip may get fried...

Example: the wireless pad from my tesla gets way hotter than any other wireless charger I have. My S22 Ultra and S20 Ultra get way warmer when charging on my tesla, if additionally I am using Android Auto (via the app TesAA, great BTW), it will get unhealthy warm. That's why if I am making a trip with Android Auto on, I keep my phone charging over cable, out from the tesla pad.

It may happen that those BMW have even a bigger issue than Tesla's and it fries the nearest chip.

 

[nismo91]

It won't be long before car manufacturers adding vents to "phone compartment" to ensure they're cool regardless if they're charging or not. since people are glued to the smartphone and smartphones only get hotter and hotter each generation.

I love the fact that us peasants driving around with our old car and 12V cig socket, means we can just buy any 12V PD charger for fast charging or use inverter to go even faster. most cig sockets are fused at 10-15A that means 100W wired charger is still on the table.

I have almost never used wireless charger anywhere because not only it's slow it's adding unneccessary heat. phone gets warm after using 67W or 100W charger I can understand, but warm phone because of 10 watts wireless charger is just stupid.

 

[Uncle Al]

There was a time when companies were required, by law, to fully test and certify these kinds of conflicts did not happen AND the offending companies were required to pay all damages. Sadly, that was one of many regulations stricken down by the last Republican administration saying it was unnecessary regulation. The law needs to be put back in place and fixed so no other administration can remove it again. ALL consumer protection initiatives need to be included in that mandate.

 

[PEnnn]

Any of the anti-Apple crowd read the article at all??

It's a BMW problem!!

it's like buying some dubious charger on Amazon then blaming your phone manufacturer!

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Any of the anti-Apple crowd read the article at all??

It's a BMW problem!!

it's like buying some dubious charger on Amazon then blaming your phone manufacturer!

Did you read it?

Firstly, that report did not come from apple, rather a third party that cannot be vetted for accuracy.
Second, if this was a BMW only issue, it would be frying all phones, not just the 15 pro.

 

[CrackJunkie]

Worse smartphone ever has been sighted!

 

[rmcrys]

I love the fact that us peasants driving around with our old car and 12V cig socket, means we can just buy any 12V PD charger for fast charging or use inverter to go even faster. most cig sockets are fused at 10-15A that means 100W wired charger is still on the table.

I have almost never used wireless charger anywhere because not only it's slow it's adding unneccessary heat. phone gets warm after using 67W or 100W charger I can understand, but warm phone because of 10 watts wireless charger is just stupid.

It's not stupid, the wireless charging generates heat on the side. My phone gets warm charging at 15W wireless, no harm done.

 

[Loadedaxe]

There was a time when companies were required, by law, to fully test and certify these kinds of conflicts did not happen AND the offending companies were required to pay all damages. Sadly, that was one of many regulations stricken down by the last Republican administration saying it was unnecessary regulation. The law needs to be put back in place and fixed so no other administration can remove it again. ALL consumer protection initiatives need to be included in that mandate.

Link to this regulation and it getting voted out last term?

 

[Watzupken]

#charginggate? I guess to much cost cutting hitting the quality of the phone big time. The swanky semi titanium chassis is a pointless change when the fundamentals are failing.