iOS 17.1 will address iPhone 12 radiation concerns in France
2 min readUpdate 10/10/23: Apple has issued a support document explaining the iPhone 12 radiation issue in France. According to Apple, France’s unique testing method does not allow for the off-body detection and increased connectivity power that Apple has employed on all iPhones for more than a decade. There will be an update in iOS 17.1 for iPhone 12 for users in France to accommodate this specific test protocol that requires reduced power when off-body on a static surface. iPhone 12 users in France may notice slightly reduced wireless performance when the signal is poor and the phone is off-body (like resting on a table) as a result of this change. Apple reminds everyone that all iPhone 12 models are safe to use and always have been.
Original story:
For a three-year-old phone that Apple stopped selling this week, the iPhone 12 sure is making a lot of headlines. On Tuesday, French regulators ordered Apple to stop selling the iPhone 12 citing concerns over high levels of radio frequency radiation. Now Apple says it will issue a software update to resolve the issue.
Earlier this week, Agence Nationale des Fréquences (ANFR) told Apple to stop selling the iPhone 12 after it found that the phone’s Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) was higher than the allowable limit. It threatened to order a full recall of the phone if Apple failed to comply with the order.
Coincidentally, Apple stopped selling the iPhone 12 on Tuesday following the launch of the iPhone 15. However, there are still iPhone 12 models for sale throughout the country and online, including refurbished models.
In a statement to Reuters, Apple said, “We will issue a software update for users in France to accommodate the protocol used by French regulators. We look forward to iPhone 12 continuing to be available in France.” Apple has stated that the iPhone 12 SAR levels aren’t a safety issue and is related to the “specific testing protocol.”
It’s not clear whether the update will arrive for iOS 16 or iOS 17, which is arriving on phones Monday. France has already banned more than 40 phones due to SAR levels but this is the first time an Apple device has been flagged.
