iPhone 15 Owners Warned Against Using BMW Wireless Chargers

While Apple is sparing no effort to fix the overheating issue on the iPhone 15, it looks like the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max may have another problem that has surfaced recently.

If you are an iPhone 15 owner who drives some kind of BMW, then you should avoid the car's wireless charging pad. A considerable number of owners have reported that their BMW's wireless charger is breaking the NFC chip that powers the iPhone 15.

iPhone 15 users have been taking to Twitter and the MacRumors forum to report their problems. These reports suggest the iPhone 15 enters data recovery mode and shows a white screen after using the BMW's wireless charging pad.

Should iPhone 15 users avoid using BMW wireless chargers?

Eventually, the NFC chip stops functioning. To those unaware, this NFC chip is an important part of a smartphone. In iPhones, this chip facilitates Apple Pay payments and is responsible for digital car keys.

Affected users see an error message that states they "could not set up Apple Pay". Regrettably, there's no apparent way to fix the problem. Some users were able to swap their iPhones for a replacement at the Apple Store.

The Cupertinio-based tech giant suggests the NFC unit must have been bad. However, the exact same thing is happening to the replacements. It is still unclear why this issue is affecting only iPhone 15s and BMW wireless charging pads.

Some reports claim this wasn't an issue with the previous generation iPhones, including the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 series. So, it is safe to assume that the problem is specific to the current generation iPhone 15 lineup itself.

Also, it is unclear exactly which BMW models are at fault. So, BMW owners who use iPhone 15 or those who are planning to buy one soon, should avoid using the wireless charging pad for the time being.

Apple or BMW will probably identify the root issue soon and provide guidance on how users can wirelessly charge without breaking their iPhones. In the meantime, it is recommended that you plug your phone into a USB port if it needs to charge while you're in the car.

Users are reporting other problems with their iPhone 15

A small group of people are now claiming that they are experiencing issues with the iPhone 15's built-in speakers. According to these users, the audio sounds crackly and rattly.

Taking to the comments section of a Reddit post, users of different iPhone 15 models reported that they have noticed the audio sounds distorted and crackly when they turn the volume up too high.

If the reports are anything to go by, the earpiece speaker is the most affected. "My iPhone 15 Pro Max arrived launch day, and from out of the box, full volume speaker calls rattle the speaker and sound like liquid inside, and same for music above like 80%," a user said.

"Based on my experience, the audio appears to rattle or crackle in specific videos or certain frequency ranges," another Redditor pointed out.

TikToker Milesabovetech also complained about crackling sound problems on his iPhone 15 Pro Max. Reportedly, Apple replaced his iPhone a couple of times at no cost. This is a major sign that the company acknowledged there was a problem.

Other iPhone 15 users on Reddit, who claim the problem has persisted on new units are now asking Apple for a replacement. It is unclear whether there's a hardware malfunction in the iPhone 15 speakers or whether this problem is due to a software issue.

Because a considerable number of users are still experiencing the same problem despite replacing their iPhones, this could be a software issue. However, Apple hasn't acknowledged any related issues.

The iPhone 15 series boasts an impressive array of features, including India's GPS alternative NavIC, but it looks like it is failing to garner popularity among users like its predecessor.