Volvo's new SUV has a hidden problem for camera users

The Volvo EX90 has a hidden problem for anyone pointing a camera at it.

A viral video just showed the SUV’s lidar system frying a smartphone’s telephoto lens.

It didn’t break the phone, although it did leave some nasty dead pixels.

And the damage happened in seconds.

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Volvo’s EX90 is packed with cutting-edge tech, and is even chosen by Google as a testbed for its AI features.

One of these features is a rooftop lidar sensor, which is the same kind of system that helps self-driving cars ‘see’ their surroundings.

Lidar works by firing rapid laser pulses (usually infrared) and measuring how long they take to bounce back from nearby objects.

The lasers are safe for human eyes under Class 1 laser safety rules.

But that doesn’t mean your camera sensor is safe.

In a recent Reddit video, a user filming the EX90 zoomed in, activating their phone’s telephoto lens, and suddenly, their camera was damaged.

You can actually see the moment the lidar beam fries some of the sensor pixels on the user’s iPhone 16 Pro Max.

It’s like the camera took a laser bullet.

Once they zoomed out to the wide-angle lens, thee image looked fine again.

Why does this happen? Zoom lenses are more sensitive because they use narrower optical paths and tighter apertures.

That makes them great for long-distance shots, but also perfect laser targets.

And unlike your eyes, your phone’s sensor can’t blink.

While wide-angle cameras can still be damaged via lidar systems, it’s less susceptible to damage as long as you’re standing at least a few feet away.

In fact, the issue has been documented by Volvo themselves, which included a warning on their website.

The company warned users against pointing a camera directly at the lidar, as the infrared light waves may cause damage to it.

This problem isn’t unique to Volvo, but on their website it reads: “Do not point a camera directly at the lidar.

“The lidar, being a laser-based system, uses infrared light waves that may cause damage to certain camera devices. This can include smartphones or phones equipped with a camera.”

Lidar is now common in many EVs, although Tesla controversially refuses to fit its EVs with lidar sensors.

And while those lasers won’t hurt you, they can toast delicate camera sensors if you’re too close, or zoomed in.

So here’s your friendly PSA: Don’t zoom in on lidar sensors.

If you’re filming a car with a roof-mounted lidar unit, keep your distance and stick to your wide-angle lens.

Your Instagram reel isn’t worth a fried sensor.