The iPhone 12 is no longer allowed to be sold in France because it has too high radiation levels. A recall is imminent. Apple is now responding with a software update.
Bad news for Apple. The National Frequency Agency (ANFR) is calling on the Cupertino manufacturer to temporarily withdraw the iPhone 12 from the market in France. The model exceeds the limits for the specific absorption rate (SAR). This is a measure of the absorption of electromagnetic fields in a material – such as our body. Simply put, the value expresses the radiation exposure.
The ANFR for the iPhone 12 is 5.74 watts per kilogram (W/Kg) when you hold the cell phone in your hand or carry it in your pocket. According to the EU standard, only 4 W/kg are permitted. Apple now has two weeks to make improvements, the AFNR said.
The iPhone 12 is said to have too high radiation levels. (Source: Netzwelt)
Apple wants to help with a software update
Apple has already reacted and has now announced a software update to the Reuters news agency that should solve the problem. However, the manufacturer from Cupertino denies that its cell phone has excessively high radiation levels. The iPhone 12 has been certified by several international bodies as compliant with global standards, Reuters quotes the company as saying.
The software update should now take into account the test methods used in France. What this exactly means remains unclear in the message. According to the report, other EU countries are also currently investigating the measurements from France. It is quite possible that the software update will also have to be rolled out in other countries.
Apple stops production of the iPhone 12
The AFNR report coincided directly with the presentation of the iPhone 15. The new generation of Apple mobile phones was unveiled in Cupertino on September 12th and will be available in stores from September 22nd. Pre-orders for the iPhone 15 will be available starting September 15th.
With the introduction of the iPhone 15, Apple will stop producing and selling the iPhone 12, regardless of the ANFR’s demands; only remaining stock will be offered in stores. A sales ban should therefore not really affect the group. A callback, on the other hand, is more likely.
There were already calls for a recall of the iPhone 4
This is not the first time that Apple has faced recall demands for an iPhone model. In 2010, the antenna gate on the new iPhone 4 made headlines. If you held the cell phone in your hand in a certain way, the device’s antennas were shielded in such a way that conversations were interrupted. There were already calls for a recall in the media, but Apple founder Steve Jobs talked down the allegations at a press conference.
There, Apple showed, among other things, that devices from other manufacturers also had similar problems. The Cupertino manufacturer also stated that return rates and complaints from sales partners were extremely low. A callback is therefore not necessary. However, Apple gave away a free protective case that was supposed to solve the problem and allowed undamaged devices to be returned in the USA within 30 days of purchase. Anyone who made use of this option received the full purchase price back.
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