Apple is promising to release a software update for its three-year-old iPhone 12 in response to an allegation by France’s National Frequency Agency (ANFR) regarding the smartphone’s radiation exposure level, which is alleged to exceed the European Union’s standards. The move arrived not long after the regulator gave the company an ultimatum to either resolve the issue quickly, or face a recall of all iPhone 12 units ever sold in the country.
To recap, ANFR last week claimed that the phone emits 5.74 watts per kilogramme when it is held in the hand or kept in a trouser pocket, which exceeds the 4.0 watts per kilogramme limit set by the EU. France later banned the sales of iPhone 12 units throughout the country following the discovery.
Apple contested the regulator’s findings not long after, saying that the phone was certified by multiple international bodies as compliant with global radiation standards. Regardless, the company was then ordered by the country’s digital economy junior minister Jean-Noel Barrot to release a software update to fix the issue within two weeks.
“We will issue a software update for users in France to accommodate the protocol used by French regulators,” Apple said in a statement issued during the weekend. “This is related to a specific testing protocol used by French regulators and not a safety concern.”
It is not exactly clear how the software-based update will resolve the issue, and the company has yet to reveal when it will be released. Additionally, Reuters reports that officials from Belgium, Germany and Italy have also requested Apple to distribute the patch to the rest of the EU.
(Source: Reuters)
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