Is Apple’s flagship phone dangerous for consumers? A study whose conclusions have been published recently indicates this.
The firm Penumbra Brands, who has commissioned the research work to RF Exposure Lab, has revealed that the iPhone 11 Pro has SAR radiation levels at a value that is more than double those allowed in the US . They are almost 4w / kg (watts per kilogram).
SAR stands for Specific Absorption Rate . It is a measure of the maximum power that a radio frequency electromagnetic field would be absorbed by living tissue that is often used to evaluate radiation from electronic equipment or devices, such as mobile phones.
SAR radiation values in the US are regulated by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission). This organism marks as a ‘healthy’ limit a SAR value equal to or less than 1.6 watts per kilo , which is measured in a volume of 1 gram of human tissue.
In the case of the European Union, a higher number is set as the ceiling, 2 watts per kilogram, although measured in 10 grams of tissue.
Ryan McCaughey, CTO of Penumbra Brands, comments in a press release that “Mobile phone users should be concerned about exposure to RF radiation. Testing shows that iPhone 11 Pro potentially exposes people to more than twice what the FCC considers safe. “
The tests to which the manager refers have been carried out with an iPhone 11 Pro located 5 mm away from a mannequin. RF Exposure Lab adds that radiation exposure could be even more pronounced if the phone is carried in a user’s pocket .
Phones with the most SAR radiation
Previously, other smartphones manufactured by Apple have also revealed high levels of SAR radiation , such as the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 8. However, Tim Cook’s company gave some models for analysis to the FCC and this found they were well below the federal limit. From Penumbra they defend that Apple has given ‘falsified’ units in terms of their radiation emission.
However, to date the phones that have offered higher levels would not be apple devices, but Xiaomi brand. Specifically, those that have shown the highest values are the Xiaomi Mi A1 (1.75), followed by the Mi Max 3 (1.58) and the Mi Mix 3 5G (1.56). The first of the three would exceed the limits of the US, although not those set in Europe.
The study should be viewed with caution , taking into account what the company that has commissioned it does. Penumbra Labs sells cases called Gadget Guard that appear compared in the study with Apple terminals and that supposedly redirect radiation away from the user, reducing their exposure to it. So there are clear commercial interests behind to show that these cases are safe even for those who opt for an iPhone 11 Pro.
