A small but telling friction has emerged at the intersection of two premium technologies: Apple's iPhone 15 Pro, when placed on the wireless charging pads of certain BMW and Toyota Supra vehicles, suffers a corruption of its NFC chip — the quiet circuitry that makes contactless payment possible. Apple has acknowledged the fault and pointed toward a future software remedy, but for now, owners of both devices find themselves caught between the conveniences they paid for, asked to forgo one in order to preserve the other. It is a reminder that the more seamlessly our tools are woven together, the
Apple acknowledges iPhone 15 NFC chip failure in BMW wireless chargers
Apple advises customers to refrain from using wireless charging until a software patch arrives
Mark
So Apple finally admitted this is real. How many people are we talking about here?
Mimi
The company says it's a "small number" of users, but they haven't given an exact count. It's limited to iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max owners who have certain BMW and Toyota Supra models with these specific wireless chargers.
Luke
That's the thing—we don't actually know the scale. "Small number" could mean dozens or thousands. Apple hasn't disclosed how many service bulletins went out or how many support cases they've received.
Mark
What happens when someone tries to use Apple Pay after this happens?
Mimi
They get an error message saying "Could not set up Apple Pay," even if they'd already set it up before. It's like the phone forgets the service exists.
Luke
But we should note—the error message appears, but we don't have detailed technical explanation of why the charger is doing this. Is it electromagnetic interference? A firmware bug in the charger itself? Apple hasn't said.
Mark
And the fix is just... don't use the charger?
Mimi
For now, yes. Apple's telling people to avoid the wireless charging until a software update comes out. If you need it fixed immediately, you can go to an Apple Store and have them reset the NFC chip using their toolkit.
Luke
Which is a real inconvenience. You're paying for a car with a wireless charger feature, and you can't use it. The temporary fix requires a trip to the Apple Store.
Mark
When will the software fix actually arrive?
Mimi
Apple hasn't said. They promised it's coming in a future iOS update, but no timeline.
Luke
And iOS 17.1 already shipped without fixing it, so we're looking at at least 17.2 or later. That could be weeks away.
Mark
This seems like a bigger pattern with iPhone 15, doesn't it?
Mimi
Yeah, the whole lineup has had issues since launch. Some Apple fixed, some they haven't. This is just the latest one.
Luke
Though to be fair, this particular problem is pretty niche—it only affects people with both a specific phone model and a specific car. It's not like a widespread iOS bug affecting millions of users.
Il Polso
- iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max owners driving certain BMWs and Toyota Supras discover their NFC chips are being silently damaged by the car's own wireless charger.
- The damage surfaces as a stubborn 'Could not set up Apple Pay' error — a core payment feature rendered unusable, even for those who had it working before.
- Apple confirmed the issue through a service bulletin weeks after users first raised alarms, signaling the problem required serious internal investigation before the company would speak.
- The only current fix requires a trip to an Apple Store or authorized provider, where technicians reset the NFC chip using proprietary software unavailable to the public.
- iOS 17.1 shipped without addressing the fault, leaving affected users in a waiting pattern — either avoiding their car charger entirely or making repeated service visits until a patch arrives.
A small but telling friction has emerged at the intersection of two premium technologies: Apple's iPhone 15 Pro, when placed on the wireless charging pads of certain BMW and Toyota Supra vehicles, suffers a corruption of its NFC chip — the quiet circuitry that makes contactless payment possible. Apple has acknowledged the fault and pointed toward a future software remedy, but for now, owners of both devices find themselves caught between the conveniences they paid for, asked to forgo one in order to preserve the other. It is a reminder that the more seamlessly our tools are woven together, the more surprising — and disruptive — their incompatibilities can be.
Apple has formally acknowledged that iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max devices can suffer NFC chip damage when wirelessly charged inside certain BMW and Toyota Supra models. The malfunction leaves users unable to set up or use Apple Pay — even if the service was already active — presenting a 'Could not set up Apple Pay' error that persists until the chip is professionally reset.
The company issued a service bulletin to authorized providers confirming the vehicle chargers are the source of the interference. Affected customers must visit an Apple Store or service center, where technicians can restore NFC function using Apple Service Toolkit 2, a specialized utility not available outside those locations. In the meantime, Apple's advice is straightforward if inconvenient: stop using the car's wireless charger.
A permanent software fix has been promised, but no release date has been given. iOS 17.1 arrived recently without addressing the issue, meaning users must wait for a later update. The episode adds to a pattern of hardware and software complications that have followed the iPhone 15 lineup since launch.
NFC — the short-range technology enabling tap-to-pay transactions — is fundamental to Apple Pay, and the fact that a charging pad can compromise it points to an unexpected interaction deep within the phone's antenna or circuitry. Though the affected population is narrow, those caught in the overlap of these two premium products face a genuine daily trade-off: charge the phone conveniently, or keep payments working.
Apple has formally acknowledged a problem affecting iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max owners who drive certain BMW and Toyota Supra models. When these users attempt to charge their phones wirelessly using the vehicle's built-in charging pad, the iPhone's NFC chip malfunctions, leaving them unable to set up or use Apple Pay—even if the service was already configured on their device. The company issued a service bulletin through its network of authorized service providers, confirming the issue stems from wireless chargers bundled with a limited number of these vehicles.
The malfunction manifests as a "Could not set up Apple Pay" error message that persists despite Apple Pay having been previously activated. Apple's immediate solution requires visiting an Apple retail store or authorized service provider, where technicians can reset the NFC chip using Apple Service Toolkit 2, a specialized software utility available only at these locations. For now, the company advises affected customers to simply avoid using the vehicle's wireless charging feature until a permanent fix arrives.
Apple has promised a software update will resolve the underlying problem, though the company has not announced when that patch will ship. iOS 17.1 was released recently but did not address the NFC issue, meaning users will need to wait for a subsequent release. The delay underscores a broader pattern with the iPhone 15 lineup since its launch—the devices have encountered a series of hardware and software complications, some of which Apple has resolved while others remain unaddressed.
NFC, or Near Field Communication, is the short-range wireless technology that powers contactless payments and data transfers between devices held within a few centimeters of each other. It is fundamental to how Apple Pay operates, allowing users to complete transactions by tapping their phone near a compatible terminal. The fact that a wireless charger can interfere with this critical functionality points to an unexpected interaction between the charging system and the phone's NFC antenna or circuitry.
The issue affects only a small subset of users—those who own both an iPhone 15 Pro model and one of the affected vehicles—but for them, the problem is significant. They cannot use a standard feature of their car without disabling a core payment function on their phone. Apple's acknowledgment comes weeks after users first reported the problem, suggesting the company needed time to investigate and confirm the root cause. The temporary workaround of avoiding wireless charging is manageable for some but inconvenient for others who rely on the feature during daily driving. Until Apple releases the promised software update, affected owners remain in a holding pattern, either visiting a service center for the NFC reset or simply leaving the vehicle's charger unused.
Citazioni salienti
Apple attributes the problem to wireless chargers bundled with a small number of BMW and Toyota Supra vehicles— Apple service bulletin
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