Apple started the iOS 17.1 beta cycle three weeks ago. Now, it seems the company could be planning to release the first major update of iOS 17 later this month. According to the French National Frequency Agency, Cupertino will release this software update on October 24.
While Apple usually doesn’t announce when it will seed a new software update, this time, the company needs to address a radiation issue raised by the French government. Last month, France said it would ban the iPhone 12 from the market due to higher radiation from these phones.
Then, this week, Apple seeded iOS 17.1 beta 3 and a support document explaining what happened in the country. According to Cupertino, for over a decade, iPhones have had an off-body detection feature that allows for slightly higher transmit power when you set the phone down, for example, on a table.
The company says the slightly higher power is not applicable to Specific Absorption Rate compliance since the phone is on the table, not on your body. Still, the ANFR, the French FCC, was using a test protocol that did not account for this off-body detection mechanism, “thereby not allowing a slight increase in power when it is appropriate. So, for users in France, we have released a software update that turns off this feature to accommodate this test protocol.”
That said, iOS 17.1 includes an update for iPhone 12 for users in France to accommodate this specific test protocol that requires reduced power when off-body on a static surface. Apple explains:
“iPhone 12 will no longer increase the allowed power when the off-body state is detected, such as while it is sitting on a table. As such, in coverage areas where the cellular signal is low, this change in antenna transmit power may result in slightly lower cellular performance in certain off-body use cases. The vast majority of users are not expected to notice any impact.”
If you want to learn more about iOS 17.1, check our story below:
