Will magnet affect a Bluetooth device's RF reception?

I came across a problem with my Bluetooth portable device design: the
antenna reception performance is super crapy! For some reason, I have
to stick a 10mm x 5mm magnet onto the back of the device, and the
lithium battery is placed inside the device's housing...
I tested various antenna parameters, fast

 

Hey! Hey! Hey! We have a Bluetooth designer in our midst ;-)

...Jim Thompson

 

As mpm wrote, putting big lumps of conductive materials close to the antenna
will change performance.

First thing to check would be reception and transmission if you place the
Bluetooth part of the design in open air. If that works, try changing the device
(place the antenna away from metal surfaces or re-design the antenna to radiate
in that environment).

And this is novel, how? (500 million chips or so shipped by my employer,
containing a few modest contributions from yours truly)

Best Regards

Jens

 

It was meant tongue-in-cheek ;-)

...Jim Thompson