The Apple iPhone is the must have mobile phone in today’s world.

But now there are claims that the iPhone 12 emits harmful levels of radiation and some European countries are expressing concerns with France putting a stop on sales pending a full investigation.

The iPhone 12 was launched in 2020 and it is safe to assume that the technological prowess of the iPhone since has been enhanced.

It transpires that on growing concerns, the United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reviewing this situation. The French claim the radiation levels of the iPhone 12 is 40 per cent above acceptable marks.

Can the radiation levels from cellphones cause cancer and affect fertility? For years some have tried to make that connection.

The Apple iPhone 15 will be launched on September 22, 2023 so this latest move by the FDA is ill-timed as far as Apple is concerned.

Apple has said it will address concerns surrounding the iPhone 12 with a software update.

“We will issue a software update for users in France to accommodate the protocol used by French regulators. We look forward to iPhone 12 continuing to be available in France,” an Apple spokesperson told Reuters.

The sticky issue here is the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR).

The rule of thumb is a human body shouldn’t be zapped by anything above 2W/kg of radiation over 10g of tissue.

It must be stressed here that Apple is well below this threshold. So is all this just noise and unsubstantiated claims against the Apple iPhone 12?

Is it fair to cause such panic? Belgium is now looking at the risks associated with the Apple iPhone 12. To date there has not been a call to ban the Apple iPhone 12 across the European Union and Apple may view Europe’s stance as just precautionary.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said there are no adverse health effects from cell phone use.