France has ordered Apple to stop selling the iPhone 12 model in the country due to radiation levels that exceed legal limits, and a software update may be required to fix the issue.
The French regulatory agency (ANFR) has asked Apple to withdraw iPhone 12 smartphones from the French market due to their excessive radiofrequency energy emissions, which surpass the permitted limit for absorption by the human body.
Belgium will assess potential health risks linked to Apple's iPhone 12 following France's ban, raising the possibility of more European countries banning the model due to breaches of radiation exposure limits.
The FDA is reportedly not conducting a specific investigation into the safety of the iPhone 12, despite claims that it is due to radioactivity concerns raised by the French government, stating that there is no scientific evidence linking cell phone use to health problems within the set exposure limits.
French authorities are reviewing a software update from Apple for its iPhone 12, which is intended to address a radiation issue that led to the suspension of sales in France and prompted concerns in other European countries.
France may allow Apple to sell iPhone 12s in the country again after the company addressed the electromagnetic radiation standards set by the country's regulatory agency.
Apple has announced a software fix for the iPhone 12 radiation limit issue in France, which will be included in iOS 17.1 and will reduce power when off-body on a static surface, resulting in slightly lower cellular performance in certain off-body use cases.
iOS 17.1 will allow the iPhone 12 to be legally sold in France again after it was temporarily banned due to exceeding the country's specific absorption rate (SAR) limits for on-body emissions.
The upcoming iOS 17.1 update from Apple will lower iPhone 12 radiation levels, although the off-body detection feature will be disabled only in France due to a testing protocol error.
Apple plans to release a software update for the iPhone 12 in France to comply with radiation testing requirements and address concerns raised by regulators about excessive radiation levels emitted by the device when in contact with static surfaces.
The mixup regarding iPhone 12 radiation in France is set to be resolved with the release of iOS 17.1 by October 24, according to the national frequency agency. The software update will bring the radiation levels into compliance with regulatory limits, and it also includes new features such as a new Apple Music favoriting feature and extended AirDrop sessions.
