Apple says iPhone cameras can be hurt by motorcycle vibrations
High-power or high-volume motorcycle engines produce potentially damaging high-amplitude vibrations, so the company says don't attach your phone to your hawg.
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If you've been rockin' down the highway with an iPhone mounted on your motorcycle, you might want to think again. On Friday, Apple said certain motorcycle engines can give your iPhone's camera bad vibes.
"Exposing your iPhone to high amplitude vibrations within certain frequency ranges, specifically those generated by high-power motorcycle engines, can degrade the performance of the camera system," the company said in a post on its support site.
The vibes are channeled through the chassis and handlebars, so you shouldn't attach your phone to motorcycles with high-power or high-volume engines, the company said. It said mopeds and scooters, which tend to have small-volume or electric engines, are less of a concern but that you should use a vibration dampening mount and "avoid regular use for prolonged periods."
The problem has to do with high-tech gyroscope- and magnet-based camera systems designed to compensate for shaky shots. Such systems, like optical image stabilization and closed-loop autofocus, make automatic adjustments if you accidentally move while taking a picture.
"The OIS and closed-loop AF systems in iPhone are designed for durability," Apple said. But "long-term direct exposure to high-amplitude vibrations ... may degrade the performance of these systems and lead to reduced image quality for photos and videos."
For details on which iPhone models feature these camera systems, you can check out Apple's post. For the latest iPhone news, take a look at all the rumors tied to Apple's upcoming, Sept. 14 event. And here's our discussion of the big shoes Apple's next iPhone has to fill.