The iPhone 15 and BMW are not compatible when it comes to NFC and wireless charging, causing users to experience glitches. Find out what problems you’ve encountered and what steps to take.
NFC and wireless charging issues
The Qi wireless charging standard has been around since 2008, providing reliable technology for nearly 15 years. However, BMW and iPhone 15 owners are facing unexpected problems. When charging, iPhones display a white screen, enter recovery mode and disable NFC, making contactless payments and other functions unusable. Apple is replacing some of the faulty devices, but the solution is not yet clear.
Technical incompatibility
Although Qi charging and NFC work differently, they use a similar method to transfer data, which is inductive coupling. NFC operates at a frequency of 13.56 MHz, primarily for contactless payments. In contrast, Qi charging focuses on transferring energy wirelessly, at a different frequency. It’s difficult to determine if the NFC radio is damaged, but the issue still persists for some users.
Impact on Apple CarKey
BMW was an early adopter of Apple CarKey, which uses NFC technology to authenticate the phone to the car. The BMW Digital Key requires wireless charging to function, which exacerbates the compatibility issue.
Overheating problem
Some users have reported overheating when wireless charging in their BMWs. Apple is working on a fix for software to regulate the iPhone’s temperature, but the issue is limited to the latest Apple devices. BMW is also looking into the situation, while Apple is ensuring that the security and performance of the iPhone is maintained.
Conclusion
It’s still too early to pinpoint responsibility, but it’s clear that current incompatibilities are hampering the devices’ NFC capabilities. BMW and iPhone 15 owners should avoid wireless charging until solutions are found.
Text Incompatibility between iPhone 15 and BMW comes from Annual Cars – Car News
