Website rates best and worst cellphones by radiation output levels -- how does yours stack up?
By Laura June 
posted September 27th 2009 8:27AM
posted September 27th 2009 8:27AM
You're surely aware that your cellphone bleeds radiation into your face the whole time you're on the phone with your mom, best friend or lover, right? Yes, it's a fact we try not to think about most of the time, but now there's a tool out there on the internets for the more reality-facing folks among us. The Environmental Working Group's launched a website dedicated to rating cellphones on their radiation output alone. Ranking highly (meaning they put out the lowest levels of radiation) are the Motorola RAZR V8, and AT&T's Samsung Impression. In fact, it seems that Samsung is cranking out the healthiest phones these days! Phones with poor showings includes T-Mobile's myTouch 3G and the Blackberry Curve 8830. So hit the read link and tell us, how does your phone rate?
[Via bookofjoe]
[Via bookofjoe]
T-Mobile myTouch 3G........? ouch... my ears!!
I know they couldnt of picked a worse name. American mobile phone names are so odd. I beleive in Australia its called the Magic which is much easier on the ears and actually has nice connotations.
I actually do think that the higher energy outputs for a lot of these phones is largely due to the higher energy required to get a good signal for data and 3G voice for the fancier phones.
That said newer phones have much lower radiation outputs. For example even the fanciest smartphone now has a lower SAR rating than a dumbphone like the Ericsson T28 had (SAR of 1.49) without any 3G or anything.
And old school smartphones like the Kyocera QCP-6035 also put out heavy numbers (1.41).
So unless you're going out of your way to get a MyTouch most of the newer smartphones have much lower numbers.
Of course it's only really long term that you'll know whether these really mattered.
the4thheat
When the signal strength is lowest, the phones have to output more EM radiation.
When signal strength is highest, they output less.
I'm not worried about it honestly.
#1 its non-ionizing radiowaves. You have a higher chance of getting cancer walking around in the Sun.
#2 no matter how well I take care of myself, I'm still going to get very sick and die - and that's if I manage to not be the 1 person in 1000000 to get into a car accident today, or 1 in a billion to get struck by lightning (its raining here right now)
Yeah, that non-ionizing radiation must really be hurting your ears.
i have a mytouch 3g... this explains why i have 4 arms.
Use speaker phone please. Problem solved!
Without any units or indication of what each "bar" of amount of radiation relates to, this is just pure propaganda.
I'm getting SERIOUS HEADACHE! OUCH!
Any one else notice that the palm pre was listed for sprint and verizon wireless in the website?
MyOuch 3G
i.c. Weiner: Pop some Rad-X for good measure.
i don't know, the nuka-cola could have had something to do with it too.
@Mitch: The Pre is supposed to be on Verizon in January or so.
Your phone: T-Mobile G1 with Google
see better PDA phones
Maximum radiation: 1.11 W/kg
[based on reported radiation level when held up to your ear]
Use this link to purchase from Amazon today and you will also help EWG. We get a portion of the proceeds!
Works with these carriers
T-Mobile *
*Phone is currently available from the provider's website.
Specific Absorption Rates (SAR)
The Specific Absorption Rates (SAR) is a measure of how much radiation is absorbed by the body when the phone is sending a signal to the network.
All models/modes
SAR when held at the ear 1.11 W/kg
SAR when worn on the body 1.08 W/kg
Data source: manufacturer
Just use bluetooth and have the phone nowhere near your head or other 'sensitive' areas of your body. And before you start any 'fashion statement' arguments, you don't need to wear it all the time you know, just when answering a call. Most are fast enough.
Bluetooth isn't exactly radiation free, I prefer a normal wired ear piece.
there has been a research (I don't have a reference ready at the moment), that wired earphones can increase SAR, due to them acting like an antenna, depending on how the wire is placed/wrapped/oriented. Bluetooth is spread spectrum and extremely weak. It does something like 0.001W/kg SAR
So you will leave it in your pocket, letting radiation hit your dick...
John Smith was a normal, average hung individual, untill one day, while talking on the phone, with his blutetooth headset, his car gets stuck by lightining!
The electromagnetic charge tripped out his phone, and caused huge amounts of radiation to seer into his nether reigions..
Hence fourth he is now known as Penis-Man
Watch, as he flys about the city in Spandex shooting err web... to cling onto buildings.
*theme tune*
*Penis man, penis man, does whatever a penis man does.. watch him swing from his *bleep*... lookout.. he's a penis man...*
Episode 1:
Penis Man VS The Caped Condom..
Legal Notice: To Disney (Since you ate marvel..) if you want to make a spin-off series called penis man.. I'd like a small cut.. :)
time for a list of the radiation outputs of bluetooth devices.
also, as the comments point out, the level isn't the only issue, the type of radiation matters as well. but i didn't see them grouping by that issue.
and there is also the issue that many of these devices were designed to be kept in the pocket or hand rather than going up to your face all the time. case in point, my iphone. sold on the point that i can have it in ipod mode and simply put it out of my pocket and slide a 'button' to answer that call without removing the headphones cause they have the mike on the wire. and with the right headphones I don't even have to take it out of my pocket (unless I want to know my boss is calling when i'm supposed to be home sick and not at the mall shopping)
At michael i laughed so hard
We sign a contract to die when we are born, live a little :)
@ Matt
Ah, and then you can get that pre call muscle twitch and impress the girls...
HAHAHAHA rofl Michael , that was the best
@Matt: funniest comment I've read in the past 24 hours. Bravo, +111 internets to you.
Well done samsung! I just ordered a samsung i8000 omnia 2...
btw the iphone isn't doing so well either :P
Yeah, shame about the iPhone. No kids for me then.
Samsung makes pretty impressive tech across the board I've found.
Just don't keep your iphone in the pocket of your jeans, and you should be okay.
I'm rocking a samsung impression...so no cancer for me!
Cancer and other negative health effects? There's an app for that.
the palm pre's not too hot either, albeit better than the iphone. another interesting fact is that they list the palm pre on verizon?
iphone 3GS got 1.19 W/KG
link:
http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/Get-a-Safer-Phone/Apple/iPhone+3G+S/
Wow, a lot more CDMA than GSM on the worst list. To some, it might be another reason why GSM is better.
Or it could mean that CDMA is actually a stronger connection which translates to better phone calls.
The HTC Touch Pro, which started out CDMA, is rated at .91W.kg, and the ATT Fuze, the same phone on GSM, is rated at 1.13W/kg.
mian:
Brilliant post, very astute.
So Totalfixation, you got a comeback for that?
wasn't this news like three weeks ago?
Wasn't this news three weeks ago.... ??
Yes it was!!
What is it now?
olds
Most radiation is Motorola.. MOTODEATH
what no iphone?
nvm, here's the 3gs
http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/Get-a-Safer-Phone/Apple/iPhone+3G+S/
http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/Get-a-Safer-Phone?query=iphone&provider_id=&brand=
It is here and failing miserably.
The iPhone 3GS isn't looking like a good option unless you don't mind radiation of course.
I like if you look up the Pre it says it is on the Sprint AND Verizon network. Something more for the rumor mill???
Could just be covering the bases since they both are CDMA and would probably require no hardware changes
The Pre on verizon is rumored to be LTE-ready by my local verizon salesman (business sales, not retail)
I traded in my 9300i wich was the best among the PDA's. Traded it in for an E90 wich still doesn't do bad.
Seems I need to get myself some Motorolas to warm up my microwave dinner for tonight though.