[UPDATED] More countries consider iPhone 12 ban due to high SAR

France has decided to ban iPhone 12 sales due to higher-than-allowed radiation (SAR) levels. Now, more European countries are considering the iPhone 12 ban as well.

So, what happened? Well, France’s National Frequency Agency (ANFR) discovered that the iPhone 12’s SAR levels are above the legal limit. Soon after that happened, Apple denied such allegations.

Still, France told Apple to fix that, otherwise they can’t sell the phone in the country. Based on what France’s junior minister for digital economy said, this problem can be fixed via a software update.

More European countries could ban the iPhone 12 due to high SAR

Following France, however, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands are now considering banning the iPhone 12 sales too. Belgium is assessing the iPhone 12 for potential health risks, and will do the same with other Apple devices.

Germany is watching what’s going on, while the Dutch regulators have asked Apple for an explanation. Spanish consumer association OCU has asked the government to suspend the iPhone 12 sales too.

What exactly is SAR? SAR stands for Specific Absorption Rate. It measures the rate of radiofrequency energy absorbed by the human body from a device. If the SAR levels are above the allowed limit, they’re considered to present a threat to human health, which is why France did what it did.

Apple is no longer officially selling the iPhone 12

The EU is very cautious over such things, and many would say for a good reason. It remains to be seen what will happen from this point on. The thing is, Apple no longer officially sells the iPhone 12.

Third-party retailers still have it on offer, of course, but it’s not officially available from the company. That is a three-year-old smartphone at this point, in case you were wondering.

Apple could be forced to release some sort of an update to try and fix things. If not, the iPhone 12 could end up being banned in a number of European countries.

UPDATE: Apple will issue a software update soon in order to fix the problem.