Apple announced on Tuesday that it will ship the new iPhone 12 models without EarPods or a power adapter, as a way to prevent the accessories from ending up in landfills. In France, however, the new devices will have earphones in the coffret, likely thanks to a quirk of local laws, as spotted by MacRumors.
As MacRumors noted, French law now requires that smartphones be bundled with “hands-free kits” or a “headset” in order to protect children age 14 and younger from electromagnetic radiation. That’s because the government doesn’t believe that health effects of long-term radiation exposure from smartphones is settled science, particularly with children, according to a summary of the law. User manuals and packaging, along with any ads, must also recommend the use of a hands-free kit, or risk a 75,000 euro ($87,000) fine.
