iOS 17.1 to Launch by October 24

Apple's upcoming iOS 17.1 update is set to be released to the public by October 24, according to the French regulatory group ANFR (via iPhoneSoft). The release date was shared on the ANFR's website in an update outlining Apple's plan to address radiation levels in the iPhone 12.

iOS 17
"Apple has committed to deploy an update in France," reads a translation of the update, which is in French. "This fix will be available to all users no later than October 24."

Apple earlier this week confirmed that iOS 17.1 will include a tweak that will lower iPhone 12 radiation levels. Back in September, France ordered Apple to stop selling the iPhone 12 and "fix" devices to bring them into compliance with European electromagnetic radiation standards. The order came after the ANFR found that the ‌iPhone‌ 12's Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) came in at 5.74 watts per kilogram, above the limit set by the European Union.

According to Apple, the ANFR made an error in its radiation tests, using a testing protocol that did not account for the off-body detection mechanism in the ‌iPhone‌. iPhones have a built-in feature that allows them to increase their transmit power when not held on the body for optimized cellular performance.

Apple says that the off-body detection has been "thoroughly tested and verified internationally to be an effective mechanism to comply with SAR requirements," bur nevertheless, the company has agreed to disable this feature on iPhones in France.

According to Apple, the ‌iPhone‌ 12 is safe to use "and always has been." After the iOS 17.1 update, ‌iPhone‌ 12 models in France will no longer increase their transmit power when the off-body state is detected, so coverage in areas where cellular signal is low may cause lower cellular performance in some use cases.

The iOS 17.1 update brings a number of other changes to the iOS 17 operating system, including an Apple Music favorites system, support for AirDrop over the internet, new options to see bank and card balances in the Wallet app, changes to the iPhone 15 Pro Action Button and more, with a full list available in our iOS 17.1 features guide.

Related Roundups: iOS 17, iPadOS 17
Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

These 5 Features Will Make the iPhone 17 the Biggest Update in Years

Monday July 22, 2024 4:02 pm PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 16 models that we're expecting to see in September are going to be quite similar to the iPhone 15 models, but rumors suggest that Apple is making big changes in 2025. We've been hearing hints of an all-new device in the iPhone lineup, and it may be the most expensive iPhone Apple has offered to date. New 'Slim' Design Rumors have taken to referring to the new iPhone 17...
iOS 18 on iPhone Feature

Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 4

Tuesday July 23, 2024 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple released the fourth beta of iOS 18 today, introducing small changes to a number of features throughout the operating system. There are no big additions in this beta, but Apple is continuing to refine existing settings and design choices. Apple plans to continue updating iOS 18 over the next few months, with the update set to be released this fall. We've rounded up all of the changes...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Launch Early Next Year With OLED Display, 48MP Camera, and More

Monday July 22, 2024 7:22 am PDT by
The fourth-generation iPhone SE will offer a series of major upgrades over the current model, the leaker known as "Ice Universe" claims. The information was listed in a post on Weibo, which also detailed the specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup. As previously rumored, the fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to feature Face ID and USB-C, marking a major upgrade from current and previous ...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

kc9hzn Avatar
10 months ago

Yeah blame France for caring for their citizens, and give the rest the best reception ever until their hairs falls off, just another form of darwinism.
First off, “hairs fall off” is completely the wrong sort of radiation. That’s ionizing radiation and not the sort of radio waves cell phones use. That’s like x-rays and gamma rays, and acute lethal doses at that. From non-ionizing radiation, there’s no strong evidence that it causes cancers or anything of the sort, and the most significant potential for injuries tends to be thermal effects. There’s some inconclusive evidence that talking on the phone could potentially cause brain cancer, but it’s not a strong link.

Second, it looks like Apple has a safety feature on phones (not to mention a battery saving feature) designed to reduce the power the cellular radio puts out when it’s near your body. Rather than test it to see if it does result in less overall exposure, it sounds like France decided Apple had to cut the power levels across the board.

Of course, by that logic, the French government should be putting more effort to end the cultural acceptance of tobacco smoking. After all, the tobacco-cancer link is much stronger than the non-ionizing radiation-cancer link, and it’s lung cancer at that. (Lung cancer metastasizes fairly quickly, since it’s part of the circulatory and pulmonary systems.)
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
crsh1976 Avatar
10 months ago

I can’t believe we’re talking about updates to fix radiation levels. What a crapshoot Apple is sometimes.
Actually the real news about what's in 17.1 is crammed in the very last paragraph - the radiation fix is a legal compliance thing that only concerns France and is of little interest to most people.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anthogag Avatar
10 months ago
France could use hot iPhones to zap bed bugs.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wildkraut Avatar
10 months ago

Blame France ! They are insane for causing this mess
Yeah blame France for caring for their citizens, and give the rest the best reception ever until their hairs falls off, darwinism rules.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wildkraut Avatar
10 months ago

I'm traveling and coming home on the 24th. I hope they release it on the 23rd.
Till then...



Attachment Image
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gasu E. Avatar
10 months ago

This whole debacle just reminds me that you cannot trust these companies with your health. Remember that. They have one objective: profit for shareholders. It's business 101.
A feature that controls radiation level based on body proximity would seem to exemplify a company that DOES take user's health seriously. Why would you conclude the opposite? A company that just didn't care wouldn't bother implementing such a complex feature.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)