Radiation Extremes: 5 Highest and Lowest Rated Smartphones
By Anna Attkisson,
LAPTOP Managing Editor | Mar 26, 2013 01:05 PM EDT
Do cellphones cause health
problems or don’t they? That’s been a popular question since the industry’s
birth. Most recently, a study published in the journal of
Epidemiology in December concluded that they do not cause
cancer. And the CTIA would agree with that finding. However, the Italian
Supreme Court would not. The European country’s high court ruled in October
that a businessman’s brain tumor was caused by frequent and long-term use of a
cellphone.
The industry group of CTIA
took the city of San Francisco to court awhile back
over the city’s SAR Right-to-Know law, which required large retail chains
that sell
phones to display
each phone’s SAR rating. The SAR, or specific absorption rate, of a phone is
the amount of electromagnetic radiation or RF energy that’s emitted. In the
United States, cellphones andsmartphones
must have an SAR
rating of 1.6 watts per kilogram (W/kg) or less, according to the rules set up
by the FCC. In Europe the limit is higher, at 2 W/kg. Generally speaking, the
lower the SAR rating on a phone, the less radiation you are exposed to.
phones to display
each phone’s SAR rating. The SAR, or specific absorption rate, of a phone is
the amount of electromagnetic radiation or RF energy that’s emitted. In the
United States, cellphones andsmartphones must have an SAR
rating of 1.6 watts per kilogram (W/kg) or less, according to the rules set up
by the FCC. In Europe the limit is higher, at 2 W/kg. Generally speaking, the
lower the SAR rating on a phone, the less radiation you are exposed to.
San Francisco city officials
eventually rewrote the law to remove the SAR requirement. But other areas are
eyeing similar legislation, including four cities in California and the state
of Pennsylvania.
If you’re concerned about
your radiation levels and exposure, one remedy is to shop for a phone with a
low SAR rating. To help you
make that decision,
we’ve rounded up some of our favorite smartphones with relatively low, or
alternately, high SAR ratings. Beyond selecting a phone with a relatively low
SAR rating, you can also use a Bluetooth headset or text, rather than talk, to
lower your exposure.
make that decision,
we’ve rounded up some of our favorite smartphones with relatively low, or
alternately, high SAR ratings. Beyond selecting a phone with a relatively low
SAR rating, you can also use a Bluetooth headset or text, rather than talk, to
lower your exposure.
Available on all four carriers, this phablet sports a huge 5.5-inch display and offers epic battery life. The improved pen features also help make it the gold standard of big-screen phones.
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SAR Rating = 0.42
Star Rating = 3.5
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