Apple iPhone 12 banned in France after excessive radiation emissions found

The French radio authority Agence nationale des Fréquences (AFNR) has announced that Apple may no longer sell the iPhone 12 in France with immediate effect. In a press release, ANFR states that the iPhone 12 breaches EU regulations concerning emitted radiation, having tested 141 units so far. For reference, the EU restricts smartphones to a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of 2.0 watts per kilogram (W/kg) in physical contact and 4.0 W/kg with the same device placed in a trouser or jacket pocket.

According to ANFR, the iPhone 12's it tested complied with the first threshold value. However, the smartphone emitted 5.74 W/kg in the second test. In other words, the iPhone 12 exceeded the EU's limits by 43.5% in this instance. The authority has also passed on its analysis to its counterparts in neighbouring countries, likely causing a domino effect.

As Reuters notes, French Minister Jean-Noel Barrot expects Apple to address this problem via a software update within the next few weeks. If not, Apple must recall all iPhone 12 units sold in France, possibly in other EU member states too. It is worth noting that Apple has not commented on the matter yet, so it is unclear whether these are isolated cases, defective devices or the result of a faulty software update.

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