France lifts ban on iPhone 12 sales after iOS update lowers radiation levels

The French National Agency for Radio Frequencies (AFNR) has announced the removal of the ban on iPhone 12 sales in the mainland part of the country following a recent update to Apple's iOS that significantly reduced electromagnetic emission levels.

In September, the regulator had cited that the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of the iPhone model exceeded the legal limits set by the French law. SAR measures the amount of energy from the electromagnetic field absorbed by the body of the smartphone's user in one second. The restrictions imposed by AFNR affected only the basic model of the iPhone 12.

Apple submitted the iOS update to the agency for evaluation. At the end of September, the regulator approved the patch. Tests demonstrated that the SAR for the iPhone 12 had decreased from 5.74 W/kg to 3.94 W/kg following the update. The French legal standard for SAR is 4 W/kg. High emission levels have the potential to heat human body tissues and theoretically cause damage.

As a result, the ban on iPhone 12 sales in the mainland part of France has been lifted, according to the agency's statement.

However, restrictions on the sale of iPhone 12 continue to apply in the French overseas territories of Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Reunion, Mayotte, and Saint Martin. The iOS update for these territories is expected to be released by the end of 2023. AFNR emphasized that other French overseas territories, including Saint Barthelemy, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and others, fall under different legal frameworks.