Apple to Provide iPhone 12 Software Update in France to Settle Radiation Row

A man looks at Apple iPhones at a shop in Bilbao, Spain, September 14, 2023. REUTERS/Vincent West
A man looks at Apple iPhones at a shop in Bilbao, Spain, September 14, 2023. REUTERS/Vincent West
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Apple to Provide iPhone 12 Software Update in France to Settle Radiation Row

A man looks at Apple iPhones at a shop in Bilbao, Spain, September 14, 2023. REUTERS/Vincent West
A man looks at Apple iPhones at a shop in Bilbao, Spain, September 14, 2023. REUTERS/Vincent West

Apple said on Friday it would issue a software update for iPhone 12 users in France, in what seemed to offer a way out of a row with French regulators which had ordered the suspension of the phone's sale due to breaches of radiation exposure limits.

"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," Apple said in a statement.

"This is related to a specific testing protocol used by French regulators and not a safety concern," it said.

The French ANFR regulator is preparing to rapidly test this software update, which would eventually bring the model into compliance with European standards applied in France, and lift the marketing withdrawal, French Digital Affairs Minister Jean Noel Barrot's ministry said in a statement.



BlackBerry Forecasts Lower Annual Revenue due to Weak Demand for Cybersecurity Services

The Blackberry logo is seen on a smarphone in front of a displayed stock graph in this illustration taken February 5, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
The Blackberry logo is seen on a smarphone in front of a displayed stock graph in this illustration taken February 5, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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BlackBerry Forecasts Lower Annual Revenue due to Weak Demand for Cybersecurity Services

The Blackberry logo is seen on a smarphone in front of a displayed stock graph in this illustration taken February 5, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
The Blackberry logo is seen on a smarphone in front of a displayed stock graph in this illustration taken February 5, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Canada's BlackBerry forecast a revenue decline in fiscal 2026 on Wednesday, as it anticipated weak spending on its cybersecurity products.

US-listed shares of the Waterloo, Ontario-based company fell 4% in premarket trading.

BlackBerry, once a dominant force in the smartphone market, has transitioned into selling software for devices and autonomous vehicles.

But enterprises are now reining their technology spending and optimizing costs, which in turn is affecting firms like BlackBerry.

The company forecast revenue to be between $504 million and $534 million for the financial year ending in February next year, lower than $534.9 million it reported in fiscal 2025, Reuters reported.

BlackBerry expects its cybersecurity unit, which provides intelligent security software to enterprises and governments, to report annual revenue between $230 million and $240 million, lower than the $272.6 million in the previous financial year.

The company posted revenue of $141.7 million for the fourth quarter, lower than $152.9 million it reported a year ago.

BlackBerry said it completed the sale of the Cylance business, which uses machine learning to preempt security breaches, to Arctic Wolf for $160 million.

The company sold the Cylance business to redirect its focus to high-growth areas, and as the unit required significant levels of investment and was facing strong competition.