Belgium urges Apple to update iPhone 12 software across EU

Belgium’s state secretary for digitalisation said on Friday he had asked Apple to upgrade the iPhone 12 software across EU countries, adding however that based on a preliminary review by the Belgian regulator the handset presents no danger to users.

Mathieu Michel said in a statement that while a review of the phone by the IBPT regulator was still underway, the first results were “reassuring” and there was no need for a recall of the phone in Belgium.

Belgium said on Thursday it would review potential health risks linked to Apple’s iPhone 12, raising the prospect that more European countries might ban the model after France ordered a halt to sales due to breaches of radiation exposure limits.

Apple disputes new findings about iPhone 12 

Germany’s network regulator BNetzA had reiterated that the work in France could act as a guide for Europe as a whole and that it would examine the issue for the German market if the process in France had progressed sufficiently.

The Dutch digital watchdog also said it was looking into the matter and would ask the U.S. firm for an explanation, while stressing there was “no acute safety risk”.

The Italian industry ministry said it was monitoring the situation but not taking any action for now.

Apple doesn’t break out its sales by country or model. Its revenues totalled about $95 billion in Europe last year, making the region its second biggest behind the Americas. Some estimates say it sold over 50 million iPhones last year in Europe. The company launched the iPhone 15 on Tuesday.