A shocking video is going viral, showing a LiDAR system burning the telephoto lens module of an iPhone 16 Pro Max as the user was filming. Shared by u/Jeguetelli on Reddit, the footage captures the moment the LiDAR module on the roof of a Volvo EX90 damages the sensor inside the filming phone.
The viral video of Volvo EX90’s LiDAR system damaging an iPhone camera.
LiDAR, short for Light Detection and Ranging, is the visual brains of many modern autonomous systems. This technology works by emitting laser light pulses (usually in the infrared spectrum) and measuring the time it takes for them to bounce back from objects, creating highly accurate 3D maps of the surroundings.
While invisible and considered safe for human eyes, LiDAR’s laser beams can damage small and delicate image sensors like the CMOS chips found in smartphone camera arrays.
The LiDAR module on the roof of the Volvo EX90.
Why are telephoto lenses more susceptible?
Modern phones often have multiple lenses for different focal lengths. When users zoom in to film or capture photos, the phone typically switches to the telephoto lens, which has a more focused optical path and smaller aperture—ideal for distant subjects but also more vulnerable to laser impact. This is precisely what happened in the video. The damage only occurred after the camera switched to the telephoto lens.
The video shows the pulsing laser from the LiDAR system damaging individual pixels on the sensor as the filmer uses the telephoto lens to zoom out. Later, when the filmer zooms back in with the wide-angle camera, the image is unaffected, indicating that this camera remains unharmed.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max camera when zoomed out (left) and zoomed in (right).
While wide-angle cameras can also be damaged by LiDAR, the likelihood of damage is very low, and it may not be noticeable to the naked eye if you’re a few steps away when filming or taking pictures.
What’s the damage mechanism?
When the LiDAR laser pulses pass through the camera lens and hit the pixel array on the sensor, they can heat up or burn individual pixels, damaging the light-sensitive material used to capture images.
Although LiDAR systems are designed to comply with Class 1 laser safety limits, these limits are primarily based on exposure to human eyes and don’t account for the vulnerability of digital sensors with magnifying optical systems like those in phone cameras.
A Word of Caution
While the LiDAR laser won’t damage your entire phone, camera modules, especially telephoto lenses, can be harmed if you film or photograph a LiDAR module directly. As LiDAR technology becomes more prevalent in commercial vehicles, consider this a warning. Don’t zoom in directly on LiDAR modules when filming or taking pictures. This is especially important in sunny conditions when LiDAR typically operates at higher intensities to compensate for ambient light.
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