Apple is working on releasing an update for the iPhone 12. (File)
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Apple said on Tuesday it planned to comply with France’s radiation testing requirements by rolling out an update that will stop the iPhone 12 from using more power when the device is in contact with static surfaces.

Apple has disputed the findings of French regulators who said that the iPhone 12, which has been on the market for three years, gave off more than permissible amounts of radiation and halted sales of the device.

On Tuesday, Apple gave its fullest explanation yet of the discrepancy between France’s findings and those in other countries where the iPhone 12 has been approved for sale.

In an article posted on its website, Apple said that for more than a decade, iPhones have included sensors that allow the phone to detect when it is near a user’s body to keep transmission power at lower levels. When the phone is not near a body – such as when it is laid on a table – the device uses slightly higher levels of transmission power.

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Apple said that the testing protocol used by L’Agence Nationale des Frequences did not take this feature into account. The company issued a software update that will become broadly available to users in France this month that turns off the body-detection technology, keeping the phone at lower transmission power levels at all times.

In a statement, Apple said that the iPhone 12 is still safe to use even without the software update.

“We want all iPhone 12 users to know that iPhone 12 is safe to use and always has been. IPhone 12 was certified to meet applicable worldwide energy transmission regulations and standards when it first shipped in 2020 and no changes have been made since then that would affect energy transmission,” Apple said in the statement.

Apple Inc has asked its tech-support staff not to give out any information regarding the controversy over iPhone 12’s radiation levels in France, reported Bloomberg. France has asked Apple to stop selling iPhone 12, claiming that the model emits electromagnetic radiation higher than the European Union standards. If customers query about this, the employees have been asked to say they have nothing to share, according to the report.

They must also reject any return or exchange request if bought over two weeks ago, which is the normal return policy of Apple, the report said. They must say their products undergo rigorous testing for safety if customers seek to know if their phones are safe, it added.

France’s digital minister said the radiation levels of iPhone 12 were found to be higher than the EU standard, but still significantly lower than what’s considered dangerous. He said a software update would be enough to fix the issue and expected a reply from Apple within two weeks.

Apple has countered the claims and said they would work with the French government and prove the handset is compliant.

Concern In European Union

After France, Belgium too has raised concerns over the health risks related to iPhone 12. The country’s junior digital minister said he would ask the telecoms regulator to analyse the potential threats linked to the handset.

Meanwhile, Germany’s telecoms regulator said it would examine the radiation concerns and that the French procedure serves as a guiding function for Europe as a while.

The Dutch too are looking into the French report and will ask the company for an explanation, an official said.

The iPhone 12 model debuted in 2020 and is currently in the process of being phased out with the introduction of iPhone 15 this week.