BMW tells iPhone 15 users not to charge in new vehicles; Apple preps iOS update

Per Gizmodo, the iPhone 15 series has had a problem when placed on the wireless charging pad found on some automobiles. And some iPhone 15 models have been bricked when plugged into in-car chargers. BMW drivers specifically have been complaining about these issues on social media sites like Reddit. 

One BMW driver purchased an iPhone 15 and is thinking of exchanging it for an iPhone 14. His Reddit post explains it all. "I just bought an iPhone 15 and also have a BMW. I haven’t activated it yet and am thinking of returning it and getting the 14 instead, since the 15 has problems and the specs aren’t all that much different, doesn’t seem worth it. Upgrading from 12, which works fine on the BMW charge pad."

Okay, here's where that argument goes bad, assuming he is talking about the basic iPhone 15 model. If returned for the iPhone 14 he loses the Dynamic Island, the improved 48MP primary camera on the rear, the USB-C charging port, and the slightly improved battery life. Some BMW owners complained about their iPhone 15 series handset getting too hot while charging and at least one user complained about the camera bump preventing the wireless charging pad from reaching the phone.

MacRumors reports that in an internal Apple memo that was sent to Apple Authorized Service Providers, the company admitted that charging an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max using one of a limited number of in-car wireless chargers, could temporarily disable the handsets' NFC capabilities. The chargers are built into some recent BMW and Toyota Supra models. Apple-certified techs are being told to use Apple Service Toolkit 2 software to get the NFC chip running again. If that doesn't work, the phone will have to be opened up so that the hardware can be repaired or replaced.

Since NFC connectivity is used to enable Apple Pay, iPhone 15 series users affected by the issue could receive a message in the Wallet app that says, "Could Not Set Up Apple Pay" even if Apple Pay has already been set up. Apple says that it will fix this issue in a software update coming later this year. Since iOS 17.1 has already been released, we could see this bug exterminated in iOS 17.1.1 or iOS 17.2. Hopefully, it will also take care of the overheating problem and other issues that iPhone 15 series users have dealt with.

Meanwhile, German's Heise says that BMW is telling drivers of its vehicles not to charge their iPhone 15 series handset in a new vehicle.