Apple promises iPhone update that reduces radiation

Two days ago, the ANFR, the French counterpart of the Posts and Telecommunications Council, imposed a ban on sales of the iPhone 12. The reason was that the phone exceeded the limit values ​​allowed for radiation by the French authorities when holding the mobile phone in place. Hand. Most authorities only test the phone to see if it is mounted on the head or body, and in these tests there were no complaints.

France covered iPhone 12 with sales ban. After the launch of the iPhone 15, the iPhone 12 is no longer part of Apple’s product range, but if Apple does not fix the issue, it will also have to recall all iPhone 12 devices sold in France.

Now Apple says it has a software update for the iPhone 12 in the works that it’s convinced will fix the problem. It’s not clear what the update entails but it will likely roll out to the iPhone 12 in all EU countries as authorities in Belgium, Germany and Italy have also requested a fix for the issue. Since the update aims to reduce radiation, there is a certain risk that the mobile phone reception will become a little worse after the update.

There is no evidence that the level of radiation to which the iPhone 12 was exposed would be harmful. It is unclear whether this type of radio radiation has any effect on the body at all, other than the levels you only reach if you are within a few meters of a radar or base station for an extended period. The type of limit values ​​used by the authorities is precisely because you do not know that they are taken with such a margin that you should be able to feel confident that you are not close to harmful levels.

The French ANFR said it will urgently retest the iPhone 12 after the update, and if it exceeds the limits, it will immediately confirm the sales freeze.