Apple to fix iPhone 12 radiation issue in France with iOS 17.1 update

The upcoming iOS 17.1 update is expected to bring the iPhone 12 radiation levels to what is acceptable in France. Know what Apple says about the update.

iPhone 12 SAR level caused a huge uproar in France. Apple now claims that the issue will be fixed with iOS 17.1 Update. (REUTERS)

Last month, the Apple iPhone 12 came into the headlines when authorities in France raised concerns about its electromagnetic emissions. The French National Agency for Frequencies (ANFR) reported that smartphone radiation may pose a health risk to humans, as the radiation emitted by smartphones is absorbed by the body. Later, the authorities demanded a fix from the company and now Apple has opened up about the fuss that iPhone 12 created. Check out what Apple said about the iPhone 12 radiation in its release statement.

iPhone 12 radiation issue

iPhone 12 faced major backlash in France due to unmatched European electromagnetic radiation standards. In September, the Apple smartphone also faced a ban and the selling of the device was also stopped by the France authorities. To resolve the issue, Apple released a software update for review which could fix the radiation problem and later it was approved. Now, Apple has finally provided a full explanation of the iPhone 12 radiation limit issue in France.

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In a statement made on its support page, Apple highlighted, "For more than a decade, iPhones have had an off-body detection feature that allows for slightly higher transmit power when you set the phone down, for example, on a table. This has been thoroughly tested and verified internationally to be an effective mechanism to comply with SAR requirements. The slightly higher power is not applicable to SAR compliance since the phone is on the table, not on your body.

The ANFR was using a testing protocol that does not account for this off-body detection mechanism, thereby not allowing a slight increase in power when it is appropriate. So for users in France, we have released a software update that turns off this feature to accommodate this test protocol".

Apple explained that since France's standards require electronic devices to have an emission level of on-body SAR limits, even when the device is tested off-body on a static surface, the company has released a software patch to fix the issue, complying with France's regulations.

Now with the iOS 17. 1 update, the iPhone 12 in France will reduce power when off-body on a static surface. Apple also said that it has removed the iPhone 12's ability to increase its transmit power when it detects that it is not being held in the hand. This may result in slightly lower cellular performance in some cases, but most users will not notice any difference.

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