Magnetic Phone Accessories and Wireless Charging

TECH · GLOBAL

Magnetic Phone Accessories and Wireless Charging

How the magnets work, medical device warnings, charging speed and cases

Magnetic attachment has become standard on phones and accessories, and it carries one specific caution worth knowing about.

Magnets and medical devices

Phones and magnetic accessories contain strong magnets that can interfere with pacemakers and implanted defibrillators, which may switch to a test mode when a magnet is held close.

Manufacturers advise keeping phones and magnetic accessories at least fifteen centimetres away from an implanted device, and more while charging. Do not carry a phone in a breast pocket over an implant.

This applies to the magnets rather than to wireless charging specifically, and the guidance comes from device manufacturers and cardiology bodies.

Cards and other items

Modern bank cards use chips and are not usually damaged by magnets, and hotel key cards with magnetic stripes still are. Keep stripe cards and anything magnetically encoded away from magnetic wallets.

Charging speed

Magnetic wireless charging aligns the coils, which is why it charges faster and more reliably than a flat pad. It is still slower than a cable and generates more heat.

Heat is what degrades lithium batteries, so a phone charging wirelessly in a hot car is the worst case.

Cases

A case must have magnets built in for the attachment to work properly through it. Thick non-magnetic cases weaken or prevent it, and stick-on magnetic rings are a workable compromise.

Car mounts

Check the phone is secure over bumps and does not obstruct the view, since an obstructed windscreen is an offence in many countries.

Battery health

Heat is what degrades a phone battery fastest, so avoid charging wirelessly in direct sun or in a hot car, and take a thick case off if the phone gets very warm while charging.

Where the phone offers optimised or limited charging, using it slows the decline noticeably over a couple of years.

Cases and screens

A case with raised edges around the screen and camera prevents most drop damage. Tempered glass protectors are cheap and replaceable, and a scratched protector is doing its job.

Cables and chargers

Use a certified cable and charger rated for the power your device draws, since high-wattage charging above 60 watts needs an e-marked cable. Cheap unbranded chargers are a genuine fire risk.

Charge on a hard surface where you are present rather than under a pillow or on a bed.

Buying accessories

Check the accessory is certified for your phone rather than simply magnetic, since unbranded magnets attach weakly and can fall off in a car. Look for a stated wattage on any charger.

Buying

Look for certification rather than an unbranded accessory, and check the stated wattage.

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