RF exposure greater in Apple’s handsets than in Samsung’s

Oct 2, 2014 11:43 GMT  ·  By
RF antennas and towers across the US in 2002. Imagine what it looks like 12 years later
   RF antennas and towers across the US in 2002. Imagine what it looks like 12 years later

When Apple is on the menu, everyone wants a bite. The latest poke at the iPhone 6 comes from a couple of analysts who are concerned that the iPhone 6 gives off too much radiation.

Also referred to as RF (radio frequency), this form of radiation has been shown to have little to no impact on the human body, at least when its source is a cell phone.

The FCC’s standard

The Federal Communications Commission asks vendors to tests phones that are about to go on sale to see if they meet an SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) of 1.6 watts per kilogram or lower. Anything above that is considered unhealthy.

Apple’s iPhone 6 is situated at just below that limit, with an SAR of 1.58 W/kg when all its radios are on (WiFi + cellular). This may or may not be cause for concern, according analysts quoted by Benzinga.

“My take is probably like every other American: we just don't know,” analyst Jeff Kagan says. “I hear some say that it's a radiation risk. I see others, mostly from the cell phone side, showing studies saying there is no risk. I don't know what to believe.”

Apple makes note of the RF exposure in its EULA, something that Rob Enderle, principal analyst at Enderle Group, believes is just a precaution.

Likely just a precaution

Kagan thinks Apple is trying to “hold off any potential litigation that might result if suddenly a researcher did find that proximity to the radio was harmful.”

Samsung devices are at the other end of the spectrum, with an SAR of just 0.5 W/kg on average. That being said, “I think it's going to be a while before we have any real evidence,” Kagan notes, suggesting that we won’t know for sure until someone actually gets sick.

He then adds, “If there is a problem, unfortunately, there's going to be a lot of people with problems.”

FCC approved

According to the Health Physics Society, failure to comply with the FCC's standards would lead to “the preparation of a formal Environmental Assessment, possible Environmental Impact Statement, and eventual rejection of an application.”

There has never been an instance where an Apple iPhone didn’t receive FCC certification, and the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are no exception. Like Kagan says, we’ll have to wait a while before we see any signs of potential dangers from our iPhones.