Apple has been banned from selling the iPhone 12 in France because the device’s specific absorption rate (SAR) is higher than the legal limit. The French National Frequency Agency (ANFR) said that the model emits more electromagnetic waves than permitted and that the company must immediately stop selling the device.
The agency tested SAR on 141 phones, including the three-year-old Apple smartphone, and found that it put out 5.74 watts per kilogram when the phone was placed in a pocket. The EU standard for SAR is 4.0 watts per kilogram. In the second test the iPhone was found to comply with the requirements, i.e. a positioning 5 mm from the human body, where the limit is 2.0 W/kg.
The ANFR statement says Apple must implement “all available means” to quickly resolve this issue or it will be ordered to recall all units sold in the European country. According to Jean-Noel Barrot, undersecretary for the digital economy in France, Apple can fix this problem with a software update and is expected to do so within two weeks.
According to some scientific studies, SAR values have safety limits established by the European Union to protect users from the risk of cancer. Barrot said Le Parisien that data acquired by ANFR will be sent to regulatory authorities in other EU member states.
He said it could have “a snowball effect on Apple” for the iPhone 12, but the reality is that Apple has already sold tens of millions of units since launching in September 2020. The entire 12 series is now discontinued with the arrival of the iPhone 15, which means such a move is unlikely to affect Apple’s sales significantly.
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