iPhone malfunctioning? Blame that MRI machine near you
Not all iPhone users know that their precious device is allergic to the presence of helium and certainly not many would know that something as common as an MRI machine contains liquid helium that can cause an iPhone to stop working.
A Reddit user Harritaco was surprised when an MRI machine being installed at their work resulted in iPhones and Apple Watches of around 40 people malfunctioning. It was only impacting Apple products and not Android devices, Cnet reported.
To this, another Redditor, captaincool, explained that the helium in the MRI machines, used to cool the magnets inside, impacts the microelectromechanical system, or MEMS, oscillators in the iPhone. These tiny devices keep the phone's clock running.
For the iPhone to work properly, the resonators have to be kept inside a hermetically sealed chamber, which can be permeable to gasses like helium. So, the next time you are near helium, or an MRI machine, be sure to keep your iPhone far away from the possible impact of the damaging gas.