Apple is selling the iPhone 13 with EarPods in France, as it was with the iPhone 12 last year. While Apple no longer includes EarPods with the iPhone, a regulatory requirement relating to radio-frequency energy requires headphones to be provided in the package with handsets starting with the iPhone 12. Apple’s iPhone 13 comes with EarPods, but that is the only special consideration for France, which filed a lawsuit against Apple last year and was fined $90,000 in the process. This was the situation with the iPhone 12, which was released in October 2020, but it has been carried over to the iPhone 13, which will be sold in 2021 in Europe. Stay with us to get more details.
EarPods for the iPhone 13 in France
This situation revolves around the dangers of absorbing radio-frequency energy into the brain. Although the constitutionality and impact of this can be debated, many countries have imposed a legal limit on radio-frequency power output. The iPhone, in Apple’s example, uses the proximity sensor to identify when you’re holding your phone against your head and, as a result, reduces the RF output. However, regulators in France have gone one step further by enacting legislation that states that users should be deliberately encouraged to avoid holding their phones to the side of their heads. Instead, the country advises using headphones when on the phone. The purpose of French legislation is to protect children under the age of 14 from RF.
Every purchase of the iPhone 13 in France has gotten boxes or shipments with the EarPods, according to the source, and Apple did not follow tradition after its rumored plans last year. In the 2020 release of the iPhone 12, Apple informed the world that accessories such as Lightning connections and EarPods would not be included in the box. This has left some users perplexed or disappointed, as they expected additional accessories with their iPhone purchase, and some Apple freebies have broken or malfunctioned along the way. This also made the people think that it is costly to move to ios as they have to buy accessories separately. Apple, on the other hand, has specific attention for this in France, especially since it is mandated by law that it be brought for the children.
Yes, the law protects children in France, particularly because the government aims to provide a “hands-free” experience for children under the age of 14, who are more susceptible to radiation or waves from smartphone use.
As a result, France requires that cellphones be supplied with headphones, which are defined as “equipment that allows the head to be exposed to radioelectric emissions during conversations.” A complete summary of the statute can be found here. Apple is throwing wired EarPods in the box with the iPhone 13, much like it did with the iPhone 12. This was first reported by a user on the MacRumors forums. Apple has also kept its ingenious “box within a box” concept. Simply open the external box to reveal the iPhone 13 box, then remove it to reveal the EarPods hiding beneath. To simplify shipping and operations, Apple can utilize the same iPhone 13 box and packing method for all iPhones, and then package the EarPods separately.
In the United States, what’s the situation?
In the United States, the iPhone 13 stays unchanged from the iPhone 12, with neither Lightning connectors nor EarPods, which is a disappointment for those who had hoped for it after a year. Apple said last year that it is doing so for the environment, to lessen the carbon footprint of manufacturing larger boxes and additional accessories. Apple, on the other hand, sells these device accessories separately for those who have broken wires or earphones that they can’t reuse or recycle.
Is it better to use Air Pods or EarPods?
The EarPods are recognized to be an iPhone mainstay since its original debut in 2007, however, it was not originally called that moniker. Apple announced this with the iPhone 11 alongside its Lightning connector with USB-C availability and a fast-charging power adaptor, before the cancellation of EarPods in the packaging. If you want to buy an EarPods from Apple, it will cost you $19 plus delivery, or you can get it for free if you buy it in-store or with the iPhone. Users would then have the option of purchasing a Lightning-ready gadget or a 3.5mm jack with an additional dongle purchase. Users can, however, go wireless by purchasing the Air Pods device, which starts at $159 and goes up from there.
The bottom line
Apple’s website urges users to utilize their existing Apple power adapter and headphones rather than buying them separately, and the price of Apple’s Lightning EarPods has been reduced. Apple promoted the environmental advantages of not supplying EarPods or a power adaptor with iPhones, claiming that the decision reduces carbon emissions and eliminates rare-earth mining and consumption. As a result, iPhone 13 models ship in a slimmer box, according to Apple, which claims it can put 70 percent more iPhone boxes on a single pallet during delivery.