End effect: Apple is developing a patch to “fix” an alleged radiation leak in the iPhone 12. However, Cupertino is only releasing the patch to French customers. Should you be worried? According to Apple, no. The iPhone 12 is completely safe and has passed regulatory tests in all countries except France. The patch is intended solely to address the specific testing protocol that France uses.
Apple updates iPhone 12 in France according to regulators threatened to force a recall due to radiation issues. French regulators claim that the device emits electromagnetic radiation above levels permitted in the European Union.
Apple says the iPhone 12 is completely safe, pointing out that France is the only country out of 27 EU nations to have filed the complaint since the phone’s launch in 2020. The problem is due to a specific testing protocol that only the French government uses.
Regulator ANFR (Agence Nationale des Frequences) claims the iPhone 12 failed one of two tests to determine the specific absorption rate (SAR). Reuters notes that the ANFR is freezing iPhone 12 sales caught the attention of other EU members, including Belgium, Germany and Italy. These and other nations are monitoring the situation closely.
Apple initially challenged the order, but has since decided to release a patch that would fix the problem rather than argue about the phone’s security.
“We will issue a software update for users in France to reflect the protocol used by French regulators,” Apple told Reuters. “We look forward to iPhone 12 continuing to be available in France.”
Apple didn’t go into details, so it’s unclear what exactly the patch will do or whether it will affect signal reception or performance. The iPhone 12 is one of 140 phones that ANFR is currently testing to determine whether SAR levels are within EU guidelines.
The sales ban has been in effect since September 12, the day Apple announced the latest lineup of its flagship iPhone 15, which will ship on September 22. Cupertino does not expect the radiation problem to affect sales of new devices. However, it is expected that the French regulator will retest the iPhone 12 immediately after the update, lift the sales ban and resolve the issue.
Photo credit: Trustworthy reviews, Marco Verch