14 DAY TRIAL // People worrying about radiation coming from their phones might have been on to something, as a recent investigation revealed that some of the older smartphone models have been outputting five times more than the maximum allowed.
For the longest time, reports about radiation coming from phones and smartphones have been debunked. The problem is that while most electronic devices emit some form of radiation, it’s still unclear whether it affects humans. Extensive testing shows that it most likely has no effect, but that hasn’t stopped institutions such as the FCC to impose limits.
It turns out that some of the older smartphones have been outputting a lot more radiation than they should, although it’s unknown whether that has any long-term effects. And you will be surprised to see some high-end devices on that list.
More than anyone expected
An extensive investigation from the Chicago Tribune revealed that a number of older devices, which work in 3G and 4G, could go beyond the FCC limits up to five times. You might wonder what are those limits and how is the radiation measured.
According to FCC, the maximum SAR (specific abortion rates) is set at 1.6 watts per kilogram (1.6W/kg), which in turn should far less than it would take to damage people. The investigation from the Chicago Tribune looked at 11 models, including iPhone 7, 8, 8 Plus and X, Samsung S8, S9 and J3, Motorola e5, e5 Play, and g6 Play, and the BLU Vivo 5 Mini.
The testing was done by an independent FCC-accredited laboratory called RF Exposure Lab, at various distances between 2 and 15 mm. The worst of the bunch was Galaxy S8, with an 8.22W/kg, which five times more than FCC’s limit. It was followed by a few other Samsungs and the iPhone 7 which radiated up to four times more than the maximum limit.
It’s unclear why this is happening, or if the current devices on the market have fixed this issue. FCC has already issued a statement saying that they will make their own tests.