Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Apple has internally acknowledged a horrible bug that breaks down the NFC sensor in an iPhone 15 when charging it with a wireless charger in certain car models.
The issue was reported a few weeks ago when BMW owners started complaining about broken Apple Pay on their iPhone 15. The wireless charger was initially believed to be the culprit, as it caused the device to overheat, eventually forcing it to enter a recovery mode.
However, considering the overheating issues encountered by the iPhone 15, most affected customers contacted Apple, with some getting replacement units without further questions.
Rebooting an iPhone 15 out of the data recovery mode left owners with a smartphone whose NFC chip was fried, so any functionality related to the sensor was no longer available. Apple Pay and digital car keys are two features using NFC, and both became unavailable once the bug hit a specific iPhone.
Apple explains in the internal memo that it's aware of only a small number of wireless phone chargers causing such problems, and they exist in BMW and Toyota Supra models. The company also claims that it only disables the NFC temporarily, so theoretically, the problem is still repairable.
Apple instructs technicians to attempt repairs using a software solution included in Apple Service Toolkit 2, but if this doesn't work, a hardware fix is the only solution.
The company is already planning a software update to resolve the glitch, though it's unclear how it plans to address it. The memo reportedly includes a recommendation for iPhone 15 users who own a car model potentially exhibiting the wireless charging problem, explaining that not using the in-car wireless charger is the best option to prevent the bug from occurring and frying your NFC sensor.
The new update will likely land in the coming weeks, as Apple has just shipped iOS 17.1, and the fix is not included. As a result, Apple will likely release the patch as part of the next operating system update due in November or early December.
Meanwhile, if you own a BMW or Toyota Supra with a wireless charger, you might want to avoid charging your iPhone 15 wirelessly behind the wheel. Sticking with the wired option is the safer method until Apple releases a fix.
If you're unsure your iPhone experiences the bug after wirelessly charging the device in a BMW or Toyota Supra, the error you should encounter when trying to use Apple Pay reads, "Could not set up Apple Pay. An error occurred while setting up Apple Pay." It might sound weird, but the error message shows up even if you already configured Apple Pay.
Until an update ships, your best option is to contact Apple and ask for a repair.
However, considering the overheating issues encountered by the iPhone 15, most affected customers contacted Apple, with some getting replacement units without further questions.
Rebooting an iPhone 15 out of the data recovery mode left owners with a smartphone whose NFC chip was fried, so any functionality related to the sensor was no longer available. Apple Pay and digital car keys are two features using NFC, and both became unavailable once the bug hit a specific iPhone.
Apple explains in the internal memo that it's aware of only a small number of wireless phone chargers causing such problems, and they exist in BMW and Toyota Supra models. The company also claims that it only disables the NFC temporarily, so theoretically, the problem is still repairable.
Apple instructs technicians to attempt repairs using a software solution included in Apple Service Toolkit 2, but if this doesn't work, a hardware fix is the only solution.
The company is already planning a software update to resolve the glitch, though it's unclear how it plans to address it. The memo reportedly includes a recommendation for iPhone 15 users who own a car model potentially exhibiting the wireless charging problem, explaining that not using the in-car wireless charger is the best option to prevent the bug from occurring and frying your NFC sensor.
The new update will likely land in the coming weeks, as Apple has just shipped iOS 17.1, and the fix is not included. As a result, Apple will likely release the patch as part of the next operating system update due in November or early December.
Meanwhile, if you own a BMW or Toyota Supra with a wireless charger, you might want to avoid charging your iPhone 15 wirelessly behind the wheel. Sticking with the wired option is the safer method until Apple releases a fix.
If you're unsure your iPhone experiences the bug after wirelessly charging the device in a BMW or Toyota Supra, the error you should encounter when trying to use Apple Pay reads, "Could not set up Apple Pay. An error occurred while setting up Apple Pay." It might sound weird, but the error message shows up even if you already configured Apple Pay.
Until an update ships, your best option is to contact Apple and ask for a repair.
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