A small grain of sand in Apple’s well-oiled communication. While the brand was presenting its new iPhone 15, the National Frequency Agency (ANFR) published a press release on the wave emissions of the iPhone 12. The model, launched in 2020, is now accused of emitting too many waves by current standards. ANFR requests the temporary withdrawal of the sale of the device.
A simple update
The DAS makes it possible to quantify the energy transported by electromagnetic waves and absorbed by the human body. If we don’t know the reason why this control is just emerging today, we imagine that an increase in SARs is probably related to a phone update.
So should iPhone 12 owners worry? Clearly, the answer is no. In its press release, ANFR specifies that the problem can be corrected through a simple software update. Therefore, a hardware change is not necessary. Product recall is only considered in case of lack of cooperation from Apple. A scenario that, however, seems unlikely.
Regarding the SAR (expressed in watts per kilogram), the maximum measurement authorized in France is 2 W/kg for using the phone at the ear. This is 4 W/kg for a smartphone pressed against an extremity, for example in a pants pocket. Only member DAS poses a problem for the iPhone 12, as the ANFR recorded a score of 5.74 W/kg.
Maximum SAR versus actual emissions
It must be emphasized that these limit values are, above all, precautionary measures. At the moment, no link has been established between the waves emitted by our smartphones and certain diseases such as cancer.
Especially since, in the tests carried out on rats to establish this limit, the radiation was permanently concentrated in a specific place. This is not the case of a smartphone that is constantly manipulated, from one pocket to another, from one hand to another.
The DAS corresponds above all to the wave emissions that the telephone can produce to the maximum, for example in an environment where the network is particularly difficult to receive.
In practice, the smartphone never emits so many waves for a long period of time, as the ANFR specifies on its site. “In a voice communication, statistically the telephone only transmits approximately 50% of the time, while the telephone does not transmit while listening. Furthermore, the average duration of a communication is less than 3 minutes,” explains, for example, the agency.
So what should you do if you have an iPhone 12? No big deal. Now it is a matter of waiting for Apple’s update so that the values return to normal. If exposure to waves is a concern, it is possible to opt for some basic reflexes: use headphones (including Bluetooth) to make calls, call when the network is of good quality. However, anti-wave accessories, such as patches to stick on your cell phone, do not have any proven beneficial effects.
Source: BFM TV
