The French radio regulatory authority's post-management revealed that the Apple iPhone 12's SAR exceeded the standard in some tests.

On the 12th, local time (France), the French National Radio Frequency Authority (ANFR) requested Apple to take corrective action after finding that the Apple iPhone 12 had a specific absorption rate (SAR) exceeding the standard.

According to a report by ANFR, the Apple iPhone 12 reportedly had a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value of 5.74W per kilogram, exceeding the standard of 4W (watts) per kilogram.

Accordingly, ANFR notified Apple of a sales ban for exceeding the standard. According to multiple foreign media outlets, including Reuters and the BBC, France's Digital Minister Jean Noel Barrot said, "I expect Apple to respond within two weeks," and added that if the SAR issue is not corrected, a recall order may be issued for all iPhone 12 products in circulation.

This exceeding of the French iPhone 12 SAR standard could have ripple effects beyond the EU and around the world. France said it plans to share its findings with other regulators, as the international SAR standard for products for the general public is the same as the standard for limbs (arms, legs, etc.) at 4W per kg.

Since the French SAR standards are equally applicable to the EU and European Economic Area (EEA) markets where CE certification is used, attention is being paid to whether the results will be shared and cross-verified by regulatory authorities across the EU in the future and whether this will lead to demands for distribution restrictions, improvement measures, and recalls for the Apple iPhone 12.

German regulators have reportedly already been in contact with French authorities, and there is a possibility they could follow the same procedure as France. A Spanish consumer group has reportedly urged the government to stop selling the iPhone 12.

Domestic standards also follow the global standards, limiting mobile product SAR to 0.08 W per kg and 4 W per kg for the whole body and limbs, respectively, and applying a more stringent standard of 1.6 W per kg for the head/torso, which is stronger than the global standard of 2 W per kg.

In a report on the 14th, Reuters cited Professor Rodney Croft, chairman of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, and a French government source as saying that ANFR's evaluation method is different, so its results may differ from those of Apple and other regulatory agencies.

However, since electromagnetic wave measurement and testing methods are standardized worldwide and the SAR standards are the same under CE certification in the EU, it is difficult to predict that the French radio authorities would not have applied the standards in their evaluation methods.

Domestic electromagnetic wave experts also said that it is unlikely that the testing method was different, and assuming that it is a software defect or, although unlikely, a hardware problem, there is a possibility that product problems may have occurred due to defective parts in some production lots.

In fact, France's Minister of Digital Affairs has said that a software update alone would likely be enough to resolve the SAR issue, raising the possibility that the ISO update may have introduced a different set of radiation issues than those seen during the initial SAR tests.

A domestic expert said, “It would be cost-effective for Apple to solve the problem through software,” adding, “However, in this case, the software would have to be modified in a way that would harm the current iPhone 12’s functions or performance.”

This involves functional limitations and restrictions on specific problematic functions to reduce electromagnetic emissions that exceed the standards.This is because debugging can be done through software measures such as deleting the ability or limiting performance. This is a solution with a similar approach to controlling excessive heat generation through the GOS function option in the Samsung Galaxy S21 and S22 series.

Apple said that the iPhone 12 has been certified by multiple international organizations and complies with global electromagnetic compatibility regulations and standards. It is reported that it has provided the results of a third-party testing and certification agency to French regulators, objecting to the results announced by the ANFR.

A domestic expert emphasized, “France’s post-management of radio waves clearly shows that the country is responsible for the safety of users even after nearly three years since the release of the iPhone 12,” and “Domestic countries also randomly evaluate and manage such post-management of electromagnetic waves, and in the future, domestic IT manufacturers and electromagnetic wave management agencies should take this case as a lesson and do their utmost to protect user safety.”