I saw a pretty nifty phone holder the other day. I didn’t buy it because of the price. So I started looking around for a cheaper one but I started thinking that magnets might damage some components of my iPhone. Here’s an example:
On the other hand it doesn’t seem like several manufacturers would open themselves up to potential lawsuits. So what’s the straight dope?
No, they won’t hame the phone, but they will mess up the compass…
Do other apps use the compass, like maps etc?
Yes, but only if you want to know which direction the phone is pointing.
My case has a plate in it that I use to connect to a magnetic holder in my car. No issues thus far after several months. There is a magnet in the exterior case wallet as well, that hasn’t harmed the iPhone nor my credit cards.
I know they will mess up the compass when the phone is close to it, but would they permanently damage (or even destroy) it?
I used to have a leather phone case with a magnetic clasp for my old iPhone, but I stopped using it as I didn’t want to permanently screw up the compass.
According to this article (Will a Magnet Destroy a Smartphone or Hard Drive? | Digital Trends), maybe.
Magnets can affect the compass and the camera. It can also permanently magnetize metal parts of your phone. And despite several manufacturers marketing magnetic holders, Apple advises against it.
I use a Steelie with my nexus 5. Haven’t had any dificulties, use google nav daily without any issues. I do notice the directional arrow is often wrong until I begin moving.
The magnet is actually glued to the phone case so it is always on the phone. I’ve used it with sky and other apps that depend on the compass and they seem to work fine. I did have concerns about such a strong magnet being close to the phone but it is just so convenient. I use it to clamp the phone safely onto steel vertical surfaces often while I am working when I dont want it in my pocket.