Apple limited the radiation of the iPhone 12, but not without compromises

The French regulatory body recently found that the iPhone 12 emits more radiation, as is allowed in France. They demanded that Apple stop selling the phone in the country and threatened to recall the phones that had already been sold if Apple did not fix the problem. Apple denied the accusations and said that the iPhone 12 is certified by more international organizations, as it corresponds to global radiation standards.

However, in the same breath, Apple announced that it would release a software update for the iPhone 12 to comply with France's radiation requirements. In an official statement, they said that the problem will be solved with the release of iOS 17.1, which will prevent the iPhone 12 from using more energy when the device is in contact with static surfaces.

"iOS 17.1 includes an update for iPhone 12 for users in France to comply with this special testing protocol that requires reduced power when on a static surface," reads the official site for Apple support.

"The iPhone 12 will no longer be increased the allowed forces when it detects a state out of contact with the body, for example, when it is on a table. Thus, in coverage areas where the cellular signal is weak, this change in the transmit power of the antenna may cause slightly worse cellular performance in certain use cases. The majority of users should not notice any change," he notes. For your information, how the situation came to be: The French state authority for regulating radio frequency emissions, ANFR, tested 141 iPhone 12 phones and found that they exceeded the legal limit for radiation emissions in contact with the body. 

Apple immediately pointed out that their phones use sensors that detect how close the phone is to the user's body and automatically adjust the moč of the radio signal so that it is not too high. When the phone is not close to the user's body, for example, when it is on a table, it uses slightly more power. transmission. Apple said the French testing protocol did not take this feature into account. They also tested the phones with a mannequin, which the phones did not recognize as a human, and thus did not properly adjust their radiation power. 

Now, to fix the problem, Apple has released a software update that disables the body detection technology and ensures that the phone always operates at lower transmit power levels. "The iPhone has sensors that detect when the phone is on a static surface, such as a table, and when it is in your hand or pocket. This detection mechanism, which is used in all iPhones even more than a decade, it allows the device to slightly increase its power in such scenarios. transmission to optimize performance.”

Apple emphasized that the iPhone 12 is safe to use even without a software update. The update is primarily intended to address concerns raised by the French regulatory authority. "We want all iPhone 12 users to know that the phone is and always has been safe to use."