Brownlee noticed a constellation of bright dots ruining every video he recorded. At first, he thought it was dust or a software bug, but the spots stayed put. After testing, he concluded the camera sensor itself had been fried beyond repair.

The suspected culprit is LiDAR, the light-based ranging kit used in many modern motors with driver assistance or self-driving tech. While the beams are safe for eyes, they can hammer a smartphone’s delicate camera sensors. Professional cameras usually pack infrared filters and coatings to prevent this sort of thing happening, but Apple decided it was much better to have iPhone's thinner leaving them vulnerable.

Brownlee reckons his iPhone was fried while filming around a Volvo EX90, a car equipped with LiDAR. The result is permanent burn marks on the sensor, which can only be fixed by swapping the camera module.

Videos online show similar damage happening in real time when cameras are pointed at LiDAR systems. Once the dots appear, every photo and video carries the scars. The Tame Apple Press claims that the issue is not limited to Apple gear either since any phone with minimal infrared protection is at risk.

Brownlee has used his channel to warn both fellow creators and the public to avoid pointing their phones at cars with LiDAR. A quick clip of the wrong motor could leave your flagship handset with a wrecked camera and a repair bill to match.