Apple has quickly put together a software fix to address the concerns of French authorities regarding the iPhone 12. The developer notes for iOS 17.1 Beta 3 state that it includes updates specifically for the three-year-old phone to “accommodate a test protocol for Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) testing” in France.
Last month, France’s radiation watchdog ANFR told Apple that it was imposing a ban on sales of the iPhone 12 due to tests that revealed that the phone exceeds the European Union electromagnetic radiation exposure limits. This prompted the Cupertino-based company to contest the findings, stating that it was already certified by multiple international bodies as compliant with global radiation standards.
That being said, Reuters reported that, according to a French government source, the watchdog used a different test method from the tech giant. France’s junior minister for the digital economy, Jean-Noel Barrot, then declared that a software update was required to fix the radiation issues and that all iPhone 12s in circulation would be recalled if the company failed to do so.
Shortly after, Apple decided to comply with the state’s demand, stating that it would issue an update to accommodate France’s protocols despite it not being a safety concern. The upcoming iOS 17.1 update will cause the iPhone 12 to no longer increase the transmit power when off-body, which will result in the phone having slightly lower performance in some off-body situations.
On a related note, the third beta revealed that the update will bring a minor change to the iPhone 15 Pro series. When the update rolls out, the Action Button will need to be pressed for longer to trigger it when the phone detects that it is in a pocket, likely to prevent accidental triggers.
(Source: Apple)
