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.



Huawei's Meng Wanzhou Takes Over as Rotating Chairperson

FILE PHOTO: Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's rotating chairperson and chief financial officer, speaks at the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai, China June 28, 2023. REUTERS/Nicoco Chan/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's rotating chairperson and chief financial officer, speaks at the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai, China June 28, 2023. REUTERS/Nicoco Chan/File Photo
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Huawei's Meng Wanzhou Takes Over as Rotating Chairperson

FILE PHOTO: Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's rotating chairperson and chief financial officer, speaks at the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai, China June 28, 2023. REUTERS/Nicoco Chan/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's rotating chairperson and chief financial officer, speaks at the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai, China June 28, 2023. REUTERS/Nicoco Chan/File Photo

Meng Wanzhou on Tuesday took over from Eric Xu as the rotating chairperson of China's Huawei Technologies for the next six months, the Shenzhen-based telecoms giant and smartphone maker said.
Meng, who is also the daughter of Huawei's founder Ren Zhengfei, will also continue to serve as the company's chief financial officer concurrently, Reuters reported.
The 52-year-old is taking the reins at a time when Huawei is going head-to-head with rival Apple over smartphone sales. Both companies launched their latest devices on the same day in September, with Huawei rolling out a premium tri-fold phone that costs $2,800.
Meng, described as the "Princess of Huawei" by Chinese media, was caught up in an extradition drama several years ago.
She was detained in Vancouver in December 2018 after a New York court issued an arrest warrant, saying Meng had tried to cover up attempts by Huawei-linked companies to sell equipment to Iran in breach of US sanctions.
Meng was allowed to return to China in September 2021 after reaching an agreement with US prosecutors to end a bank fraud case against her.