France ordered Apple to suspend the sale of iPhone 12 phones due to excessive radiation. Apple has said that it will solve the problem with a software update, but at the same time it criticizes the way the French authorities measure radiation values.
The amount of electromagnetic radiation of Apple’s iPhone 12 phones exceeded the standards in a test by the French authorities. The problem will be fixed with a software update. The change only applies to phones sold in France. Tiina Somerpuro
Investigations by the French authorities revealed that the iPhone 12 introduced by Apple in 2020 emits more electromagnetic radiation than is permitted.
In September, the French agency ANFR, which regulates radio frequencies, ordered Apple to stop selling its excessively radiating phones in the country and also to repair the devices sold.
According to the agency, the rate of radiation absorption into the human body was 5.74 watts per kilogram for the iPhone 12 when the phone was in the user’s hand or pocket. In Europe, the maximum amount allowed is 4.0 watts per kilogram.
Expert for MTV: Overreaction
However, according to a Finnish expert who commented on the matter to MTV Uitis, the French authorities have overreacted in the matter.
– In France, measurements are always made so that the mobile phone transmits at full power all the time. Under normal circumstances, a mobile phone drops its transmission power to a very low level, a specialist researcher at the Swedish Radiation Protection Agency Sami Kännälä stated to MTV News in September.
– From the point of view of radiation safety, there is no need to worry about this issue, Kännälä continued in Maikkar’s interview.
Tested wrong?
The authorities’ test method was also adopted by Apple itself. It criticized ANFR for not taking into account in its tests a feature that limits the amount of radiation when the phone is in the user’s possession.
According to the technology giant, the iPhone has sensors that recognize when the device is, for example, on the table and when it is in the hand or pocket.
– This mechanism, which has been in all iPhones for more than ten years, enables the power of the transmitter to be increased to optimize performance when the device is not in the user’s possession, Apple states in its statement.
According to Apple, however, in ANFR’s studies, the device was evaluated only on the basis of its maximum radiation, without taking into account the radiation limiting mechanism.
This is how the radiation values can be controlled
Apple says it will solve the radiation problem in the IOS 17.1 update to be distributed in October.
With the change that only affects phones sold in France, the power of the iPhone 12’s transmitter is limited so that the amount of electromagnetic radiation does not exceed the standards even when the phone is out of the user’s reach.
Iphone 12 phones sold outside of France will not be subject to any changes affecting the radiation values.
According to Apple, French users will generally not notice the difference from the old one. Only users in areas with poorer hearing may notice hearing loss a little more than usual in some situations.