Apple warns your iPhone camera can be wrecked by motorcycle vibrations

Apple tree warns your iPhone camera tin can exist wrecked past motorbike vibrations

(Image credit: Future)

Apple has warned motorcyclists that mounting iPhones on the bike'due south handlebars for navigation purposes is a bad idea that tin can cause serious damage to the telephone'southward delicate camera organization.

As spotted by MacRumors, a new support page has appeared on Apple'due south site, advising that the frail optical image stabilization (OIS) and shut-loop autofocus (AF) systems tin be damaged by vibrations from the engines, which travel sufficiently to do potential and permanent damage.

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"The OIS and closed-loop AF systems in iPhone are designed for immovability," Apple tree writes. "Nevertheless, as is the instance with many consumer electronics that include systems like OIS, long-term direct exposure to high-amplitude vibrations within certain frequency ranges may degrade the performance of these systems and lead to reduced epitome quality for photos and videos."

Equally such it is "not recommended to attach your iPhone to motorcycles with high-power or high-book engines due to the amplitude of the vibration in certain frequency ranges that they generate," the company concludes.

Vehicles with similar designs but smaller engines — like mopeds and electric scooters — don't have the aforementioned inherent risk, but Apple nevertheless recommends that the "comparatively lower-amplitude vibrations" are countered with a vibration dampening mount, and that yous avoid "prolonged periods" of use.

Given the nature of the ii camera technologies — OIS uses a built-in gyroscope, while AF relies on magnetic sensors — it'south peradventure non surprising that the applied science is vulnerable to intense and prolonged vibration.

And indeed you don't have to dig too deep to find tales of people who have been impacted. One rider institute that a single eight-mile ride was plenty to break the iPhone camera, resulting in "swimmy" images which refuse to focus.

Information technology'southward not articulate why Apple tree has decided to raise awareness at present, but it's certainly a adept thing that it has — i person said they had their telephone replaced twice before someone at the Apple Store picked upwardly on the problem, and simply then because they themselves ride a motorbike.

The alternatives

Then, what can you lot do if yous're a motorcyclist who relies on the iPhone for navigation? Well, there are products which claim to improve things, such as the $54 Hondo Buzz-Kill Vibration Isolator, but whether information technology will be sufficient to guarantee your iPhone's safety is another matter.

There are also dedicated handlebar GPS solutions which are built for the purpose and don't accept the same fragile internals to worry almost. Something like the $340 Garmin Zumo will do the fox.

Alternatively, at that place are enough of cheap, rugged Android phones that you tin can buy and employ as a dedicated GPS. If you're non planning on using their other functionality, then you don't have to worry about vibration damage. It won't win any prizes for beauty or speed, but a Kyocera DuraForce Pro tin can exist yours for under $100 if you lot shop around, and will piece of work just fine as a defended motorcycle GPS.

More: The all-time iPhones yous tin can purchase

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in betwixt. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are establish all over the spider web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing upwards the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, yous'll probably detect him tackling his e'er-growing games backlog. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.