May 14, 2024, 11:35 am | Read time: 4 minutes
When using current smartphone models, radiation is often an underestimated but not insignificant factor. TECHBOOK lists the devices that, according to the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, emit particularly high levels of radiation and those that do not.
Technical devices emit electromagnetic radiation. While most sources of radiation are not constantly present in everyday life, smartphones are a constant companion for many. Because a large part of the population is in such close contact with smartphones and the associated radiation, it is worth taking a closer look at the radiation levels of current devices. For many users, these levels have even become a decisive purchasing criterion.
Overview
SAR Value Indicates Smartphone Radiation
In our “TECHBOOK Basics” format, our colleague Andreas Filbig explains briefly and clearly what the SAR value is:
The radiation from smartphones is indicated by the so-called SAR value (Specific Absorption Rate). It shows how strong the energy is that the body absorbs from the electromagnetic radiation—as it penetrates a few millimeters into the human body. It is given in watts per kilogram and varies from smartphone to smartphone. You can find the value for your device either on the manufacturer’s data sheet or on the homepage of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS).
The World Health Organization (WHO) provides a guideline for cell phone radiation. According to this, the permissible upper limit is a value of 2.00 watts/kg, meaning a SAR value of 2.
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Which Smartphones Emit the Most Radiation?
The Federal Office for Radiation Protection keeps records of the radiation levels of new smartphones. The outgoing radiation is measured when making a call with the phone at the ear and on the body. The ranking in the following list is determined by the value at the ear, as the radiation value is particularly high when making calls and the phone is usually held to the ear. The list includes the 15 smartphones that currently have the highest SAR values at the ear according to the BfS.
Compared to the previous version, a lot has changed: While the Allview P7 Pro and the Motorola Edge remain unfortunate leaders, the T Phone Pro from Telekom has now moved up to third place. The number of models from Allview and Asus has also increased. Apparently, new devices are constantly being released, but their radiation levels are not improving.
However, Xiaomi has disappeared from the top spots—previously, the Chinese company had four of the 15 smartphones with the worst radiation levels. Android market leader Samsung landed in 21st place with the Galaxy A23 5G.
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Which Smartphones Have Low Radiation?
Parallel to the list of smartphones with the highest radiation, there is, of course, the other end of the scale: the smartphones that are particularly low in radiation. Here, manufacturer Samsung stands out positively, being the only major manufacturer represented on the list with two variants of the Galaxy Note 10+.
And how does the iPhone fare? The most radiation-intensive models from Apple reach values at the ear of 0.99 SAR. This includes the iPhone 14 Plus and Pro Max, as well as certain variants of the iPhone 11, 12, and 13. The iPhone 11 and 11 Pro Max emit the least radiation, with 0.95 SAR at the ear each. All tested Apple smartphones are closely grouped in the evaluation, with only very slight deviations in the values.
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Is Cell Phone Radiation Dangerous?
So far, there are no truly conclusive findings on the long-term effects of cell phone radiation. Studies repeatedly appear showing an increased cancer risk, while others aim to refute this. An expert group from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) met in Lyon in 2011 to evaluate all available scientific evidence.
Kurt Straif, chairman of the IARC Monographs program, explained the results at the time: “It is not currently conclusively proven that the use of mobile phones can cause cancer in humans.” Nevertheless, the experts agreed to classify cell phone radiation as “possibly carcinogenic.” Individual studies have shown an increased risk of cancer, while others have sought to refute this. The experts decided to review the classification if new study results become available.
So, if you want to be on the safe side, you might want to consider using your phone less or using hands-free options.