FRANCE has banned the sale of the popular iPhone 12 due to its radiation levels being above the safe threshold.
Apple has been forced to take the model off shop shelves by the country’s radiation watchdog ANFR.
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Following a series of tests, ANFR found the smartphone’s Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) was slightly higher than legally allowed, France’s junior minister for the digital economy, Jean-Noel Barrot, told local newspaper Le Parisien.
“Concerning phones already sold, Apple must in the briefest of delays take corrective measures to bring the affected phones into compliance,” the ANFR said in a statement on its website.
“Otherwise, Apple will have to recall them.”
According to Barrot, a software update is all that is needed to bring the radiation down in iPhone 12s, which have been sold since 2020.
“Apple is expected to respond within two weeks”, he said.
“If they fail to do so, I am prepared to order a recall of all iPhones 12 in circulation.
“The rule is the same for everyone, including the digital giants.”
The ANFR said accredited labs discovered absorption of electromagnetic energy by the body at 5.74 watts per kilogram during tests with the phone being held in the hand or kept in a pocket.
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The European standard is a specific absorption rate of 4.0 watts per kilogram in such tests.
Radiation can be emitted from phones which can be harmful to our health, experts have said.
It’s why people are encouraged not to sleep with them under their pillow.
Equally, men are advised not to store their phone in their trouser pockets while ladies should leave them out of their bra.
The French watchdog will now pass on its findings to regulators in other EU member states.
“In practical terms, this decision could have a snowball effect,” added Barrot.
The Sun has contacted Apple for comment.
How do I know if I’m affected?
If you’re unsure what iPhone model you have, there’s a simple way to check.
Open your iPhone’s Settings > General > About.
Here you’ll find your device’s model number.
If you have an iPhone 12, your model number will be one of the following:
- A2172
- A2402
- A2404
- A2403
If the model number doesn’t match with that of an iPhone 12 and you’re still curious, check Apple’s list of model numbers.
However, it’s important to note that if you’re based in the UK or the US, the sale ban and potential recall is unlikely to affect you.
The ban is currently exclusive to France.
But as Barrot said, it may spread through the rest of the EU, which the UK exited and the US has never been part of.
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