Men in chief pajamas will investigate after the Chicago Tribune has tested several smartphones to detect radio frequency (RF) radiation. The newspaper has discovered something that could be alarming; The RF radiation emanating from Apple's iPhone 7 exceeded not only the legal security limit, it was also double the amount of radiation that Apple's own tests showed that the device presented a leak. This is based on the company's filings with the federal regulators.
The Tribune notes that the FCC states on its website that devices licensed for sale will never exceed the maximum level of radiation exposure considered safe. However, four iPhone 7 devices have been tested by the Tribune and all have lost radiation above that level. The FCC responded to the Tribune's data stating that it would start performing its own tests in the next two months.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 had the worst score of handsets measured at 2mm
The Tribune has tested 11 different phones, including the iPhone 7, the iPhone X, the iPhone 8, the iPhone 8 Plus, the Samsung Galaxy S9, the Samsung Galaxy S8, the Samsung Galaxy J3, Moto E5 Play, Moto G6 Play, Moto E5 and BLU Vivo 5 Mini. The phones were each tested to see how much RF radiation had leaked from 2mm, 5mm, 10mm and up to 15mm. The 2mm test consisted of simulating the amount of radiation that a person could receive if she placed her phone in a shirt or trouser pocket. The Tribune indicates that at this distance, most of the devices tested far exceeded the limits of RF radiation. The Tribune recommends that smartphone owners do not bring their handsets into a pocket. Since the handset test standards for RF radiation were created in the 1990s when people wore them on a belt clip, the FCC can test the radiation of new phones at a distance of up to 25 mm.
How does RF radiation compare to other types of radiation?
The FCC radiation limit is "1.6 watts per kilogram on average for one gram of tissue". The tests reported by the Tribune revealed that the iPhone 7 exceeded this limit when it was tested at a distance of 2 and 5 mm. In many tests, the phone's radiation level was twice the amount considered safe by the FCC. The iPhone 8 Plus went under 1.6W / kg during its tests, while the Samsung Galaxy S9 performed well at 15mm distance, but failed at a distance of 2mm.
The worst score of 8.22 W / kg belonged to the Samsung Galaxy S8 which produced this amount of RF radiation at a distance of 2 mm. Some Apple and Motorola phones have gone through a second round of modified tests based on the comments of the respective manufacturer; Based on these results, the Moto G6 Play is very well behaved (0.25 W / kg from 5mm and .53W / kg from 2mm). The radiation test of the Vivo 5 mini BLU has also entered the FCC limits.
When the Tribune presented the results to Apple, the company explained to the newspaper how to activate the sensors of the iPhone 7 that reduce the power of the device. But even after making the change, this model still emitted too much RF radiation. Apple issued a statement claiming that the "Tribune" tests were inaccurate because the test setup did not conform to the procedures needed to properly evaluate the iPhone models. All iPhone models, including the iPhone 7, are fully certified by the FCC and in all other countries. After careful review and subsequent validation of all iPhone models tested in the Tribune report, we have confirmed that we are in compliance and that we comply with all applicable exposure guidelines and limits. "
Samsung responded to the tests by stating, "Samsung devices sold in the US are FCC compliant and our devices are tested using the same test protocols as those used in the industry."
Although it is not clear if exposure to RF radiation can cause problems to humans, it can heat tissues to high levels. The eyes and testicles are the most exposed because they do not disperse the heat well. You may recall that last year, a study conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIH) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP) had revealed that male mice with cell phone radiation had a slight increase in the number of rare heart tumors. The fact that the test did not show a clear link between cell phones and cancer was highlighted by the actions of the Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society, Dr. Otis Brawley. Dr. Brawley told reporters, "I hold my cell phone up to my ear."
While a new phone must be tested for RF radiation before it can be launched in the US, the manufacturer is allowed to choose the test lab. Even worse, only one unit must pass the test to be able to sell millions of other models.
How different phones have tested RF radiation
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