Apple has mentioned it plans to replace the iPhone 12’s software program after France halted gross sales of the mannequin over fears about extreme radiation ranges.
Jean-Noel Barrot, a junior minister within the French authorities, advised Le Parisien final month a radiation watchdog discovered the gadget’s “particular absorption fee” was slightly higher than the legal limit.
This refers back to the fee at which the human physique absorbs power when uncovered to radio frequency.
Apple has disputed the findings – and mentioned the cellphone is protected to make use of even with none modifications.
However on Tuesday it mentioned it plans to adjust to France’s radiation testing necessities by rolling out an replace stopping the mannequin from utilizing extra energy when involved with static surfaces.
In an article posted on its web site, Apple mentioned for greater than a decade, iPhones have included sensors which permit the cellphone to detect when it’s close to a consumer’s physique to maintain transmission energy at decrease ranges.
When the cellphone isn’t close to a physique – comparable to when it’s laid on a desk – the gadget makes use of barely larger ranges of transmission energy.
Apple mentioned the testing protocol utilized by L’Agence Nationale des Frequences didn’t take this function into consideration.
“We would like all iPhone 12 customers to know that iPhone 12 is protected to make use of and at all times has been,” the agency mentioned in a press release.
“iPhone 12 was licensed to fulfill relevant worldwide power transmission laws and requirements when it first shipped in 2020 and no modifications have been made since then that will have an effect on power transmission.”
Nonetheless, the corporate has issued a software program replace that turns off the body-detection know-how, conserving the cellphone at decrease transmission energy ranges always.
This replace will develop into broadly accessible to customers in France this month.