Apple will roll out a software update to iPhone 12 devices across the European Union in the coming weeks. The update aims to reduce transmitter power after the European Commission confirmed that the smartphone does not comply with EU health standards.
The move follows a decision by the French National Frequency Agency (ANFR) in September 2023 to halt iPhone 12 sales, citing excessive electromagnetic emissions absorbed by the body when holding the phone. Apple had issued a fix at the time, but it applied only in France.
Software fix now extends beyond France
The European Commission on Monday published its August 19 decision in the Official Journal, confirming ANFR’s findings and describing France’s regulatory response as “justified.” The Commission said the measures were necessary to ensure compliance with EU safety requirements.
Apple acknowledged the upcoming EU-wide rollout in a statement. “We continue to disagree with ANFR’s approach to testing, but we respect the decision of the European Commission,” the company said. “Customers can continue to use their iPhone 12 with full confidence, just as they always have.”
France’s suspension of iPhone 12 sales in 2023 was based on testing that showed the device exceeded the legal limit for specific absorption rate, a measure of radiofrequency energy absorbed by human tissue. After the update in France, sales resumed.
Former French Digital Transition and Telecommunications Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who later became Foreign Affairs Minister, defended the country’s decision at the time. Commenting on the European Commission’s ruling, he wrote on X: “The iPhone 12s were not up to safety standards in France. I had imposed a software update on Apple. The European Commission is giving us reason today. The rules we have adopted sovereignly are not negotiable.”
