France Has Banned the Sale of the iPhone 12
France has banned the sale of the iPhone 12 due to radiation levels exceeding the legal limit, according to the French Minister of Digital Economy, Jean-Noël Barro. The French regulatory body ANFR informed Apple of its decision to prohibit the sale of the iPhone 12 after conducting tests.
This is reported by Index.
The tests revealed that the specific absorption rate (SAR) of the smartphone slightly exceeds the legally permissible limit, stated the minister. Barro contends that a software update would suffice to address the radiation issues associated with the phone, which the American company has been selling since 2020.
"Apple is expected to respond within two weeks. If not, I am prepared to order the recall of all iPhone 12 devices in circulation. The rule is the same for everyone, including digital giants," he added. The European Union has established safe limits for SAR values related to the impact of mobile phones.
The French regulatory authority will now share its findings with regulators in other EU member countries. In 2020, France expanded rules requiring retailers to indicate the radiation capabilities of products, including tablets and other electronic devices, on their packaging.
As previously reported by The Gaze, Apple announced its latest iPhone model, available in four versions with USB-C connectivity – 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max. The latter features a titanium body and a high price tag of $1,199 USD.
These phones have the industry's first color back glass with a textured matte finish, along with a new contoured edge on the aluminum body. The phones are also equipped with a 48-megapixel main camera (defaulting to 24 MP) with a 2x telephoto lens, providing three levels of optical zoom: 0.5x, 1x, and 2x.
iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will be available in stores starting from September 15 in back glass colors including pink, yellow, green, blue, and black, as well as in memory options of 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB. Prices start at $799 for the 15 and $899 for the 15 Plus.