iPhone 12 and radiation, what’s happening in France and Belgium?
After France, neighboring Belgium is also investigating the iPhone 12 for excess radiation and other countries, including Italy, could take similar measures. All the details
Last Tuesday, the French National Radio Frequency Agency (ANFR) asked Apple to temporarily and immediately withdraw the iPhone 12 from the market "due to non-compliance with European regulations". In fact, the authority claims that the model "exceeds the limit of the specific absorption rate" (SAR), which quantifies the energy transported by electromagnetic waves and absorbed by the human body.
Now Belgium is also putting the offending smartphone under the glass. But while Cupertino disputes the data presented by the Anfr, other countries could follow in Paris's footsteps.
HOW THE CONTROLS WORK
The Anfr has the task of monitoring the radio equipment market and controlling the public's exposure to electromagnetic waves. Through checks carried out by accredited laboratories, which have the task of evaluating whether the SAR values of the product comply with European regulations, the Anfr then decides, among other things, whether or not to place a new smartphone on the market.
The devices, the authority reports, must be evaluated in contact with the body, whether held in the hand or in a trouser pocket or carried in a jacket pocket or bag.
WHAT THE EUROPEAN STANDARD REQUIRES
According to European law , the SAR limit for mobile devices is 2 W/kg for the torso (head and body), and 4 W/kg for the limbs.
IPHONE 12 RADIATION DATA
However, in a recent test on 141 phones, including the Apple iPhone 12, the Anfr found that the SAR value relating to the limbs was 5.74 W/kg, therefore exceeding the permitted limit. Those relating to the trunk were instead compliant.
For this reason, the Anfr has asked Apple to immediately withdraw the affected phones from the supply chain and distribution circuits of the French market and to adopt corrective measures as soon as possible to bring those already sold into compliance.
APPLE'S RESPONSE
Contacted by AFP , Apple disputed the Anfr's findings, saying it had presented multiple independent analyzes showing that the devices complied with the standards.
AFTER FRANCE, ONWARDS THE NEXT
Today Belgium, through its Secretary of State for Digitalisation, Mathieu Michel, also made it known that it will examine the potential health risks linked to the iPhone 12: "It is my duty to ensure that all citizens… are safe", he told Reuters , adding that he had “quickly contacted the IBPT-BIPT (regulatory body) to request an analysis of the potential danger of the product”.
France's decision could therefore trigger a series of bans. Germany is closely following the French action and the Dutch digital regulator said it was "looking into the matter and would ask the US company for explanations", while stressing that there was "no serious security risk".
Our Ministry of Business and Made in Italy has also declared that it is monitoring the situation but that for the moment it has not taken any measures.
PERFECT TIMING"
The news, among other things, arrives in Cupertino just a week after Apple shares fell sharply because the Wall Street Journal had written that China had banned the use of iPhones by central government officials, causing the company to lose 200 billion dollars in two days.
News denied only yesterday by Beijing, after Apple presented its latest iPhone 15 model on Tuesday.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/iphone-12-e-radiazioni-che-succede-in-francia-e-in-belgio/ on Thu, 14 Sep 2023 13:35:08 +0000.