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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
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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.

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Tesla Plans Four New Batteries in 2026, Including for Robotaxi

FILE PHOTO: A staff member attends to customers inside a Tesla Model Y car at a showroom of the US electric vehicle (EV) maker in Beijing, China, Feb. 4, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A staff member attends to customers inside a Tesla Model Y car at a showroom of the US electric vehicle (EV) maker in Beijing, China, Feb. 4, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo
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Tesla Plans Four New Batteries in 2026, Including for Robotaxi

FILE PHOTO: A staff member attends to customers inside a Tesla Model Y car at a showroom of the US electric vehicle (EV) maker in Beijing, China, Feb. 4, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A staff member attends to customers inside a Tesla Model Y car at a showroom of the US electric vehicle (EV) maker in Beijing, China, Feb. 4, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo

Tesla plans to design four new versions of its in-house battery to power the Cybertruck, its forthcoming robotaxi and other electric vehicles, the Information reported on Thursday, citing people with knowledge of its plans.

The Elon Musk-led firm currently sources most of its EV batteries from other companies, including Panasonic Energy and LG Energy but has been trying to ramp up production of its 4680 battery cells in the United States to lower costs and boost margins.

The development of the 4680 battery has been facing troubles, with the company losing 70% to 80% of the cathodes in test production compared with conventional battery makers, which lose fewer than 2% of their components to manufacturing defects, the report said.

Cathodes, a key part of the battery, helps in creating energy that propels an EV, Reuters reported.

The company has also been trying to scale production of dry-coated version of the 4680 cells but has been struggling with the speed at which they can make the batteries, Reuters had reported last year.

Tesla is planning to introduce the dry cathodes in Cybertruck batteries by the middle of next year, the Information report said, adding that the company plans to make between 2,000 and 3,000 Cybertrucks a week using the dry-coating technology.

By 2026, Tesla plans to introduce four versions of the 4680 that use the dry cathode, one of which, code-named NC05, will power the robotaxi, according to the report.

The EV maker is expected to unveil its long-awaited robotaxi product next week as it looks to shift its focus to AI-powered autonomous technology amid slowing demand for battery-powered cars.