If you have an iPhone 15 and drive a BMW, it might be best to avoid charging the device with the vehicle’s wireless charging pad for now.
Over the past week, some BMW owners have complained that their iPhone 15’s NFC chip no longer works after charging the device with their vehicle’s wireless charging pad, according to comments shared on the MacRumors Forums and X, formerly known as Twitter. Affected customers say the iPhone goes into a data recovery mode with a white screen, and the NFC chip is no longer functional after the device reboots.
In an iPhone, the NFC chip powers features like Apple Pay and digital car keys. Affected users receive a “Could Not Set Up Apple Pay” error message in the Wallet app, and there does not appear to be a way to fix the problem. Some customers say Apple replaced their iPhone after confirming the NFC chip failed, but the replacement iPhone is then vulnerable to the same issue, so there is currently no permanent solution.
While complaints so far have come from iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max users, it is possible the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are also affected, so owners of any iPhone 15 model should proceed with caution until this issue is sorted.
It’s unclear what the specific cause of the issue is, how many customers are affected, and which BMW models are affected. We’ve reached out to an Apple spokesperson for comment, and we’ll update this story if we receive a response.
BMWs wireless chargers are terrible. I had one in my previous one and all it did was make my iPhone hot. I didn’t order it in my current BMW. That’s pretty much the consensus on the BMW forums too.
Edit: I’m wondering if it’s the heat these things produce while charging. They’re supposedly a software fix coming, but mine gets pretty hot sometimes while I’m using it and charging at the same time .
A fun comment I heard once from a sales guy (who had a bmw) is that BMW drivers are so angry and upset because they have to deal with BMW’s service department all the time.
You sleep in the bed you make lol. BMW support being shit has been a known thing for decades at this point
I’ve had 10 BMWs in the last 20 years and I’ve never had any issues, and I have a great service advisor.
Wireless charging makes my iPhone 13 really hot in my Audi.
Same in the Cupra Ateca I rented in Europe.
Same in the Model 3 I rented in Phoenix.
Wireless charging is pretty inefficient in general. Pumping in electrical energy on one end and getting significantly less out the other means it had to have been converted into some other form of energy. Heat.
I am wondering why it’s mostly cars that are heating up though…
I have a real cheap wireless charger in my car that’s actually caused my 13 Mini to go into cool down mode while using the GPS. This has reminded me that I really ought to replace it…
They’re only 5w. And you need them aligned correctly to get the full power from them. So they’re basically perfect for warming up your phone and giving you 2% more battery.
Wireless car chargers suck right now. Qi should fix that a little bit. But, it will probably take a long time for cars to adopt that. Car manufacturers are slow AF.
Huh! That’s explains my experience with rental BMWs. I though I do something incorrectly or that my iPhone is too old (XS). I did not even think that it can be the car’s fault.
My Kia’s wireless charger cools the phone.
Until the fire, sure.
Huh? It’s a Kia not a Porsche.
Kia currently has a massive recall for vehicles spontaneously combusting.
In other news have you heard Kia’s new mixtape? I hear it’s….
… well it’s not bad.
Oh, seems mine doesn’t fall under that.
That’s great to hear. I am glad you are safe from that at least.