Clarification of French law requiring Apple to provide basic accessories in the iPhone 12 box to avoid injuring people

[Arlen Holder]

Apple's strategy is to remove basic functionality so you buy it back.

According to this thread by "sms", France is mandating Apple give back
"some" of the basic functionality Apple removed in order to sell it back.
o Want a charger with your iPhone 12? Move to Brazil. Want Earpods with your iPhone 12? Move to France.
<https://groups.google.com/g/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/c/qu_RTwBgsf8>

According to Matt, in a recent post to this thread today:
o Clear evidence that the real factual problem on Apple Usenet newsgroups - is simply that apologists exist
<https://groups.google.com/g/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/c/mQsBECSbICw>

On Wed, 9 Dec 2020 19:02:09 -0000 (UTC), Matt wrote:
This french law[1] is not about providing hands-free phones but about
health concerns. Every manufacturers have to provide an accessory for
limiting the exposure of the head to radioelectric emissions during
communications.
[1] <https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000030212642/>

The article that Steve Scharf (sms) cites doesn't provide those details:
o Want a charger with your iPhone 12? Move to Brazil.
Want Earpods with your iPhone 12? Move to France.
<https://groups.google.com/g/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/c/qu_RTwBgsf8>

Steve's article referenced this one cite alone:
o Want your iPhone 12 to come with a charger? Go to Brazil
<https://thenextweb.com/plugged/2020/12/03/want-your-iphone-12-to-come-with-a-charger-go-to-brazil/>

Which itself only mentioned the French requirement in the last sentence:
"Due to a French law mandating handset makers must ship their devices with
hands-free solutions, the company had to include earpods with the iPhone
in the country"

Notice this doesn't mention anything but "hands free" requirements
o But delving deeper shows that Matt was indeed correct in the details.

o Apple Customers in France Still Get EarPods in the Box With Every New iPhone
<https://www.macrumors.com/2020/10/15/apple-france-earpods-in-box-iphone/>
"The inclusion of earphones is likely due to legislation in France
that requires all smartphones to include a handsfree kit to protect
children under 14 from the potential risk of electromagnetic radio waves"

See also:
o iPhone 12 comes with free EarPods in France thanks to radiation laws
<https://www.engadget.com/apple-iphone-12-france-earpods-included-122501246.html>
"Any object containing radio equipment cannot be distributed for payment
or free of charge without a wired, solid and reliable headset."
<https://www.senat.fr/rap/l08-552-1/l08-552-1102.html>

o Apple forced to ship EarPods to French iPhone buyers
<https://www.macworld.co.uk/news/earpods-french-iphone-buyers-3796800/>
"Some were sympathetic to the stated environmental aims, while others
felt that it was more about cutting costs while paying lip service
to green causes."

o iPhone 12 Will Include EarPods in France
<https://www.pcmag.com/news/iphone-12-will-include-earpods-in-france>
"Failure to do so results in a criminal fine of 75,000 euros.
With that in mind, Apple will ship the iPhone 12 in France with EarBuds
and a USB-C to Lightning cable in the box. There won't be a charger"

Apple removed the charger so that you would need to buy it back

For more information as to why Brazil may require it, see this thread where
apparently Apple adamantly refuses to guarantee it will honor its own
warranty terms if you do NOT purchase a new charger for every iPhone 12,
and instead, if you use an old charger in a new iPhone 12.
o A Brazilian consumer protection agency declared the "charger in the box" to be an "essential" component.
<https://groups.google.com/g/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/c/vJlfXaBaSFQ>
--
One bug.... and the entire untested core iOS house of cards falls down.
<https://groups.google.com/g/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/c/7Mc1sX9XISA>
HINT: iOS code dates to 1985 and Google proved it has never been tested.