July 15, 2025, 12:53 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
For decent photos, camera sensors typically require sufficient light. However, too much can damage the sensitive electronics. Recently, the Lidar system in the Volvo EX90 has rendered several smartphone cameras unusable.
Increasing Cases of Burned-Out Camera Sensors
Since early 2025, there have been multiple reports on social media from users whose cameras were damaged by the Lidar system. In January, a Hungarian car tester posted a video on YouTube showing how the Lidar system in a Volvo EX90 destroyed the camera sensor in an iPhone. As the system was filmed with the iPhone camera, more and more pixels burned out, appearing as bright spots or completely dead lines in the viewfinder.
Also in January, a member of a Volvo group on Facebook posted that the system in a Volvo EX90 literally burned an iPhone sensor. The post included an image showing damaged pixels on a dark photo. The user claimed to have contacted Volvo headquarters, which allegedly acknowledged the problem and is working on a solution.
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In early May, another video surfaced showing a case where the Lidar system in an EX90 damaged a camera sensor. The video vividly demonstrates the specific scenario in which the problem occurs. The wide-angle lens of the smartphone camera remains unaffected by the laser in Volvo’s Lidar system. Only when zooming in does the strong light beam destroy more pixels with each pulse.
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Volvo Warns Against Filming the Lidar Sensor with a Smartphone
Volvo’s EX90 uses a Lidar system from Luminar, which claims to work even when “small targets are at a great distance.” The system emits lasers with a wavelength of 1550 nanometers (nm), considered safe for the human eye–as long as it is not exposed for extended periods. This allows the system to operate at higher power than other Lidar sensors.
For smartphone cameras, however, this is a problem. Especially when filming with the telephoto lens, which concentrates light more intensely, the laser exposure can irreparably damage the sensor. The company warns:
“Do not point a camera directly at the Lidar. Since Lidar is a laser-based system, it uses infrared light waves that can damage certain camera devices. This can include smartphones or phones with a camera.”
The sensor issue is not exclusive to Volvo but affects all automakers using Lidar technology. However, many also use older solutions for parking assistance or other systems, typically with ultra-wide-angle lenses. Volvo also noted to TECHBOOK that one must stand relatively close to the active sensor and film it with a zoom camera for the sensor’s light beam to damage the camera. Users filming or photographing the car from a distance have nothing to fear.