French officials, including Jean-Noël Barrot, publicly supported the safety measures, emphasizing the importance of adhering to strict safety standards.

The upcoming software update, expected in the coming weeks, will align with a similar 2023 update made in France after ANFR's testing.

This update will be rolled out across all 27 EU member states, expanding the French-only fix from 2023 to the entire European Union.

Apple has expressed disagreement with the French ANFR's testing approach but respects the European Commission's recent decision, assuring customers they can continue using their iPhone 12 with confidence.

Although Apple initially released a software update in France to address radiation concerns, it had not yet implemented this update across the entire EU until now.

Apple downplayed the issue, insisting the iPhone 12 was safe, and used iOS 17.1 to mitigate the problem in France, which was based on a test protocol that Apple argued did not reflect real-world safety standards.

This situation underscores ongoing debates over regulatory safety standards for older smartphone models in different markets.

The European Commission confirmed the French ANFR's measurements in August 2025, which justified the need to reduce radiation levels, prompting Apple to extend similar measures across the EU.

The update follows a 2023 decision by French authorities that the iPhone 12 exceeded safe electromagnetic emission levels when held in the hand, leading to a sales halt in France.

Apple will reduce the radio transmitters' power on iPhone 12 models across the EU to address health concerns, with the update scheduled for the coming weeks.

ANFR's testing showed the iPhone 12 exceeded limits for specific absorption rate, which measures radiofrequency energy absorbed by body tissue.

Apple argues that the radiation test used by ANFR does not reflect real-world safety standards, citing features like the device detecting when it is away from the body, which increases transmission power.

The European Commission confirmed ANFR's findings and supported the regulatory actions on August 19, deeming them justified, with the official decision published on September 1.