[Rumor] Hidden Feature of the Google Nexus 7: Magnetic Smart Cover Sensor

[dgstorm]

We aren't sure what possessed the Google Nexus 7 Tablet owner in the above video to start tinkering around with magnets on his new device, but his curiosity seems to have paid off. Apparently, he found a potential feature of the device that was not documented anywhere previously. The Google Nexus 7 may have a magnetic smart cover sensor built into it. If you take a magnet and put it against the front or back of the Nexus 7 along the bottom left-hand side (while in portrait mode with the display on) the device will automatically turn on. You can check out the effect in the video above. Is this a hidden feature, or something else?

Source: NexusTablets.net via AndroidPolice

[nikecar]

[ Is this a hidden feature, or something else?

I call it a lawsuit.

[metalspring]

...wouldnt bringing a magnet anywhere near most of the electronic things in a tablet, phone or pc be a really bad thing?????

[JoshuaTucker]

Don't think I would do that on any of my devices haha

[FoxKat]

Placing a magnet near the phone or pad may do damage only to things such as the built-in compass by "magnetizing" or "demagnetizing" the device, and even that's a possible non-issue since the compass in these devices is a solid-state device. Otherwise, I don't believe it would be an issue.

In the earlier versions of the Droids, D1, D2, and possibly later models, there are 2 sensors on the back of the phone that detect which of were used to determine if the phone was placed into either the navigation dock or the home multimedia dock. The docks each had one Rare Earth magnet placed in one of two unique specific locations on the docks to alert the phone to the dock.

They did no harm to the phone.

Also, it's a common way to attach the fold-out covers to iPads and other pad-type devices.

There are issues with bringing magnets near Cathode Ray Tubes (old-fashioned picture tubes as used in pre-LCD/LED TVs, monitors), and also near Plasma TV screens as the effect can be a permanent discoloration of the display. LCDs, LEDs, OLEDs are immune to this (AFAIK).

[metalspring]

ahh, maybe its really pc's that magnets are bad for
although i do see a magnetic smart cover sensor being a problem in some cases (no pun intended) for tablets and especially phones (if they ever decide to do that too). What if someone decides to use one of those cases or covers that use magnets to stay closed or attached? it could very well keep waking the phone or tablet up and kill battery life

[SwiftLegend]

Don't most tablet/phones have this feature anyways? Usually for multimedia docks like previously stated, its just a magnetic proximity sensor..

[wes_s]

A lot of phones have magnetic sensors/switches.
Ones that I've owned include the Touch pro 2 that had one that changed the screen to landscape when you opened the keyboard, the Droid X has one on the back that tells it when it's been inserted in a dock etc etc.

I can't believe my video created this amount of frenzy. I guess 15 minutes by magnet is better than no 15 at all?

[IIGood]

ahh, maybe its really pc's that magnets are bad for

Partly right there. You don't want to put a magnet near a PC with a regular hard disk in it...could end up damaging the data on the disk. This is a non-issue with solid state drives and other internal PC components.

[metalspring]

Don't most tablet/phones have this feature anyways? Usually for multimedia docks like previously stated, its just a magnetic proximity sensor..

Do they all work the same way as this though?
I don't think the galaxy nexus does (I went ahead and tried it just for kicks)