Apple published a support note today that recommends users to keep their iPhones away from direct-contact with excessive vibrations. According to them, prolonged exposure to high-power or high-volume vibrations will degrade the performance of the camera system.
They’re referring to the Optical Image Stabilization and Closed-Loop Autofocus present in iPhone 6 and later. These systems use a combination of gyroscopes and magnetic sensors that detect gravity, phone orientation, resist shakes and wobbles when using the camera and help get sharper images despite the vibrations.
Apple said that the performance of these components would be affected if the iPhone is put in high-vibration setups, like that of a motorcycle’s handlebar or chassis. They said it produces a certain frequency range that will degrade the capability of the camera over time. Even against low-vibration alternatives like electric scooters and mopeds, they advised mounting the phone in a phone holder with a shock mount to further reduce the shake that’s transferred to the phone.
Notes like this usually result from repeated instances from their customer support. If a certain issue has been brought up a certain amount of time, Apple will issue support notes tackling that which is what happened with their butterfly keyboards before, that resulted in a free replacement program.
For this though, since the situation can be avoided, an advisory is all we’re getting from Apple. So if you’re the kind of rider who mounts their phone on the handlebar for navigation, it would be best to follow your app via audio or maximize the use of Siri.
