CNET Reviews has published a quick guide to cell phone radiation. Most interesting of the review, however, is the top 10 list of cell phones with the most radiation. Oddly enough, Motorola dominates the list with 9 phones. Every cellular phone in this top 10 highest-radiation emitting phone list has a SAR, or specific absorption rate, of over 1.5W/kg just shy of the FCC maximum of 1.6W/kg. In comparison, the models with the lowest radiation are around 0.33 and lower.
The thing that shocked me the most was that the Treo 650 was among the phones with the most radiation. That particular Treo is also among the most popular smartphones, with several people in my family owning one. I remember having watched something on DateLine years ago (back with Motorola’s StarTac was the rage) that discussed the advantages of a flip-phone for radiation absorption. They concluded that since the antenna was at an angle to your head as opposed to right next to it, the radiation emitted by the cell phone was less intrusive. However, it seems as though Motorola’s flip-phones just emit a massive amount of radiation so that it does matter what the angle of the antenna is to your head. I think I will be avoiding Motorola when it comes time to purchase my next cell phone. That’s a shame because I have really had my eye on the Motorola Q.
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The majority of Motorola phones now have integrated antennas. The battery cover is actually the antenna, so the antenna is right next to your face.
I’m not surprised to read that my RAZR is high up on the list of most radiation. The antenna is relatively small, meaning more power has to be given out to achieve the same signal strength. I’m not sure if that bothers me though.
No surprise to me, ever time you get a Motorola phone near my computer the speakers start going crazy. It will even do it if i’m not talking to anyone (probably because it is communicating with a tower). It kinda works as a pre-ringer; my speakers start cracking just before I get a call. I will say my RAZR V3i is not as bad as other Motorola phones I’ve had in the past.
I’m still going to keeping my eye on the Motorola Q, if your worried about radiation, good luck avoiding it in the wireless world in which we live.
Same thing happens with my phone. I kinda like it. I can pick up the phone before the ringer goes off.
I remember hearing about that on an episode of TWiT. I forget their explaination, but it made a lot of sense on why that occurs.
The cell phone “hand-shakes” with the cell tower.. something like that.
I’m more concerned with what the radiation is doing to me when I have the phone in my pocket for 95% of my day. No matter how much I talk, that represents only a fraction of the time the phone is pressed against my body.
Well the phone isn’t actively transmitting when it’s in your pocket. It only does a few hand-shakes with cell phone towers, from one to the next, as you get in or out of range of one or the other. And that only happens maybe every 5-15 minutes for a second or two I’d say. No real threat.
If those numbers are correct, I’ve had a conversation in my pants for between 30-200 hours over the eight years I’ve had a mobile.
Very interesting and the first thing I said was “Good Lord!”. I should consider myself lucky that I don’t own a Nokia. This fact should be picked up and published everywhere, being the top mobile manufacturer in US and the 3rd biggest in the world, this should be an eye opener to Motorola.
And Wow Paul, your blog is really popular. 282 subscribers in Bloglines alone is no mean feat. And cool layout too btw.
nice, my Samsung T809 comes in at 0.32
You didn’t mention that in the list of the lowest radiation are Motorola models too :). And I remind all of you that Motorola has the best network capturing. Even Nokia has worth one
My Motorolar V170 is so old it isn’t even listed, $50 TracFone prepaid…
Paul,
I use bluetooth so when i talk on the phone while driving my phone is still in the pocket, so now i am frying my balls?
as for the speakers making noises, my newer phones don’t do it…just older nokias and motos did that with me, it was funny knowing when to expect a call.
Ron,
What do you mean the antenna is the battery cover? Never knew that. Where did you hear that? I am now considering terminiating my contract early with Verizon. I am not impressed with their service lately, their customer service as been abyssmal, and the RAZR I am starting not to like anymore. I am considering to get a Nokia 6102i through Cingular.
Jonathan, just take off the battery cover and look at it. You’ll see two little metal dots on the bottom of the cover. When the cover is on the phone, those dots connect with two prongs below the battery. The inside of the battery cover has metal strips throughout, so that increases the signal.
To prove this is the case, turn on your phone, and then remove the battery cover. Your signal should drop.
Ron,
Wow never knew that! That is rather interesting….What do you know about that Nokia phone I was looking at? Seems rather good, even though it is free with Cingular, I’d have to pay a fee with VZW if I call it quits. I do have the family plan so I can just not use my old phone and get a new number, but we got a lot of minutes that would then not be used.
Awwww Crap! Both the Motorola V330 and the Sanya SCP-8100 are the top o the last. Nothing else works with my hearing aid.
I would like to point out that it is interesting that the Startac, one of the most celebrated phones of all time is high on the list and had some of the best reception capabilities out there. Then the V60 came out after the Timeport, and compared to the Startac, the reception genuinely sucked. So much so, I took the phone back and reactivated my Startac. It also has a low SAR value too. I currently have an moto e815, and its RF capabilities (digital) are in a league with the Startac. It also has higher SAR value than the POS V60 (see table in CNET article) I returned years ago. There is some sort of a trade off between SAR value and RF capability. The lowest SAR value phones, in comparison to other phones of the SAME type (GSM or CDMA) also seem to be have poorer RF capability. Why does one buy a cell phone? To take pictures? Listen to MP3’s? Watch TV? No, make calls. Also the article misses a very critical point. These SAR values are the highest the phone will register in a marginal area with a weak signal. The vast majority of the time when you are showing 3, 4, or 5 bars, it will be MUCH lower than this value. Personally, I am willing to put up with a high SAR value in a marginal area for a few minutes to make or receive an important call. You certainly won’t experience anything near these values when the phone is in resting or “hand shake mode” in an area with decent reception. Poorer reception all the time with a low radiation value, or high radiation some of the time with better reception. You decide.
It’s not just Motorola phones that cause speakers to ‘crackle’. I’ve experienced it with Nokia Phones as well. I used to have a Nokia 5150 many years ago. Once I had it on the desk near the monitor of my work PC. When the phone rang the lower corner of the screen closest to is started to change colors and distort like a magnet was being held over it. Always made me wonder just how much juice that thing was putting out in the vicinity of my head. Ditched it a short times after that.
I’m thinking that since radio stations measure their broadcasting power in units of Watts, that SAR in units of Watts per mass of exposure is a measure of cell phone broadcast signal power. “SAR or specific absorption rate is “a way of measuring the quantity of radiofrequency (RF) energy that is absorbed by the body.” For a phone to pass FCC certification, that phone’s maximum SAR level must be less than 1.6W/kg (watts per kilogram)”
So if one wanted a cell phone with good signal strength in marginal coverage areas one would pick a cell phone with a high SAR, no?
You all make me worried! I intend to replace my V60i with MPX 220 that is considered to have better signal strength. Could it be harmful to my health?
what other cell phones should I buy?
Cell phone radiation doesn’t sound good.
I think one of the basic premises of buying a cell is knowing exactly how much radiation it emits, not just for the trend factor alone.
I’ve been ’smart’ shopping for a replacement phone ever since my old Samsung X426 blew a hinge. I thought of upgrading to a camera phone and I found a Samsung A436 for cheap, too bad it blew chunks for a SAR reading. I also found a nice Motorola W370 that’s styled like the RAZR, but too bad it also blew. Ah well, the Motorola didn’t have a camera and the camera on the Samsung is weak. Oddly, both these phones had minimal options and there is no need for the high SAR rating… especially on the basic Motorola.
I was going to go with the KRZR seeing how it also had a reasonably low SAR rating. The only bad thing I heard was that the front shell always gets cracked. Thus, I’ve settled on the older RZR and lucky me… it’s on the list. What I don’t get is how a more optioned phone has less SAR value than lower optioned phones, it’s time for these companies to start thinking about our health while using their products. :)
Samsung’s Innov8 has agreat camera and .28 SAR Motorolla’s V3x is only .14 but not avail. in the North American Union. The V3.06 is low but I can’t find one. Maybe the KRZR K3 @ .34/.17/.23
I have a Motorolla Krzr…the glass facing is cracked…I never thought about the SAR levels until I wanted to research the vlidity of a trace mineral called “colloidal mineral” and stumbled upon the following information about “Radiation, microwaves, the FCC and SAR…etc.” Please read the ENTIRE article to set the tone, reference their ‘works cited’ for further validation…and PLEASE COMMENT here on this incredible Blog. I have no motivation here except disclosuree of information, but I am extremely shocked by the information I have just discovered…
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which permits such lenient radiation exposure from most U.S. transmitting sources, is a cheering squad for the telecommunications and broadcasting industries it is supposed to regulate. The Center for Public Integrity found that FCC officials are bribed by the industry with such perks as expensive trips to Las Vegas.24 FCC standards are based on the obsolete theory that the only risk from RF/microwave exposure is excessive heating of tissues (thermal effects). Yet there are so many documented and dangerous non-thermal effects that even the EPA has said it is time to consider non–thermal effects in updated standards. The FCC admits that its standards are based upon recommendations of organizations loaded with industry and military lobbyists—most of whom would obviously prefer NO restrictions whatever on the use of RF/microwave radiation.25 The FCC’s exposure limits are so high that no matter how much Fedgov and industry adds to our radiation burden, it will always be “within standards.”
Ditto for the FCC’s cell phone SAR guidelines. SAR quantifies radiation absorbed by the brain. SAR standards were calculated by using dummies with sugar water in their fake heads.26 A news segment on the TV news magazine 20/20 demonstrated that cell phones often exceed the grossly dangerous SAR ratings listed on their labels anyway. 27 Swedish studies show rat brain damage at SAR levels 800 times lower than those allowable under FCC standards.28
Are there any safety devices? How do TracFones rate?