Thunderclap on the French smartphone market: the iPhone 12 has just been banned. Apple can no longer sell its high-end 2020 smartphone here, due to a risk to our health.
While Apple has only just launched its new high-end iPhone 15, the French government has just announced a shock measure: a ban on the sale of an old model: the iPhone 12. In question, a wave emission rate that is much too high, which could cause health problems for their owners.
The National Frequency Agency (ANFR) notified Apple to withdraw its device from sale. With the release of the new iPhone 15, it is no longer sold on the official website, and it should therefore also disappear from third-party resellers. Even worse, Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister responsible for Digital Affairs, threatens to go even further.
The iPhone 12 emits too many waves
According to data measured by ANFR, the iPhone 12 slightly exceeds the electromagnetic wave emission standard. Its specific absorption rate (SAR) is 5.7 watts per kilogram while the authorized threshold is 4 W/kg.
Its use may then represent a risk to your health. In 2022, the national agency for food, environmental and occupational health safety (ANSES) noted that exceeding the authorized standard could result in “ an increased risk of brain tumors, in the long term, for intensive users of mobile phones “.
According to the minister, Apple has 15 days to comply, or a national recall will be imposed. However, Jean-Noël Barrot believes that a software update might be enough to resolve the problems linked to the phone that the American company has been selling since 2020.
However, we do not know whether or not the ban on sales would be lifted if Apple were to correct the situation with an update. If Apple decided to opt for this solution, a new version of the software would “restrict” the device, including in particular its communications. For example, we can expect reduced 5G speeds, or a weaker network signal.
It was in 2020 that France expanded regulations requiring retailers to indicate the wave emission value of products on packaging beyond cell phones, including tablets and other electronic devices.
