In September, Apple was singled out by the National Frequency Agency (ANFR), whichbans the sale of the iPhone 12in France, because of a wave problem. Although the firm contested the way in which the ANFR carried out its measurements, it still announced the preparationof an updateto correct the problem. And this update arrived this week, on the iOS 17.1 version of the operating system, which isavailable for download.
Lifting of the ban in mainland France
Also, now that this problem has been corrected, the ANFR announces the resumption of the marketing of the iPhone 12 in mainland France. So, resellers who had this model in stock can sell this model again. And thanks to this lifting, Apple avoids a withdrawal of iPhone 12s in use. However, for the moment, the decision does not concern all of France.
Indeed, if the iPhone 12 can once again be marketed in mainland France, the ban is maintained in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyana, Reunion, Mayotte, as well as Saint-Martin. Indeed, according to the ANFR, the patch deployed by Apple is not yet in these territories. But Apple should deploy its patch there later, before the end of the year.
If the iPhone 12 is today a relatively old model which is no longer sold directly by Apple, it is still sold on certain sites. And above all, it is one of the most popular smartphones on the refurbished market in France.
What's changing on the updated iPhone 12s
In a document published before the arrival of the iOS 17.1 update, Apple clarified that all iPhone 12s sold worldwide can be used safely. However, if this model was banned by the ANFR, it is because the agency does not take into account the detection of the distance from the body of the iPhone during its tests.
“For over a decade, iPhones have had a body distance sensing feature that allows slightly higher transmission power when you place your phone, for example on a table. This mechanism has been thoroughly tested and verified internationally to ensure compliance with Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) requirements.”, explained Apple.
To comply with the requirements of the French authorities, Apple has simply removed this functionality. Thus, the authorized power no longer increases when the iPhone 12 is placed on a table, for example. The consequence of this update is that cellular performance may be worse in locations with weak signal.
