10 Highest Radiation Cell Phones & How to Protect Yourself
Cell phones have become ubiquitous pieces of technology in our lives. About 96% of Americans now own at least one cellular device, if not multiple. And while we’re constantly reassured that these devices are physically safe and pose no risk of harm, cell phones and smartphones do give off a certain amount of radiation. In fact, when looking at the fine print of any cell phone user manual, you should find a warning telling you to keep your phone at least two inches away from your body at all times to avoid radiation exposure.
These potentially harmful radiation levels are measured in units called SARs, or the Specific Absorption Rate of the radiofrequency energy emitted by a device.
Is Cell Phone Radiation Dangerous?
Could your cell phone use be giving your body unhealthy amounts of radiation? Mobile phones use electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range. Other digital wireless systems, such as data communication networks, produce similar radiation.
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2011, mobile phones were classified as Group 2B – possibly carcinogenic (not Group 2A – probably carcinogenic). That means there “could be some risk” of carcinogenicity, so additional research into the long-term, heavy use of smartphones needs to be conducted. However, with 5 billion cell phone users worldwide (260 million alone in the U.S.) answers should probably come sooner than later.
Although no conclusive evidence has been produced, some experts, like Dr. George Carlo, former chief scientist of the cell phone industry’s $28 million safety research project, believes we could be on the verge of a major health crisis. Specifically, he believes the world could be on the precipice of 500,000 brain and other cancer cases annually, because of the proliferation – and rising power – of cell phones and smartphones.
Some health ailments that experts have already theoretically attributed to high cell phone use include increased headaches, high blood pressure, earlier onset of Alzheimer’s, and cancer. Additionally, concern for men’s health regarding cell phones has made international headlines. A meta-analysis of ten past studies, led by researchers at the University of Exeter, U.K., found a small but consistent drop in sperm quality if the men had been exposed to mobile phone radiation. While researchers found no link between mobile phone radiation and an actual drop in fertility rates, the finding could contribute to understanding the global — and still unexplained — drop in sperm count.
What’s a Safe Level of Cell Phone Radiation?
For a phone to pass FCC certification and be sold in the United States, its maximum Specific Absorption Rate, or SAR rating must be less than 1.6 watts per kilogram.
The SAR levels listed below represent the highest SAR levels measured with the phone next to the ear of a dummy specifically designed with fluids inside that simulate a human head. These results come from the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection, (Bundesamt Für Strahlenschutz) on statista.com which conducts the most comprehensive study of cell phones based on their universal guideline or environmental friendliness standard known as the Der Blaue Engel, or Blue Angel—the SAR level they believe is safest at .60 W/kg.
Note that it’s possible for the SAR level to vary among different transmission bands (the same phone can use multiple bands during a call), and different testing bodies can obtain different results.
Top 10 Phones with Highest Radiation
1. Xiaomi Mi A1
SAR: 1.75 W/kg radiation
2. OnePlus 5T
SAR: 1.68 W/kg radiation
3. Xiaomi Mi Max 3
SAR: 1.58 W/kg radiation
4. OnePlus 6T
SAR: 1.55 W/kg radiation
5. HTC U12 life
SAR: 1.48 W/kg radiation
6. Xiaomi Mi Mix 3
SAR: 1.45 W/kg radiation
7. Google Pixel 3 XL
SAR: 1.39 W/kg radiation
8. OnePlus 5
SAR: 1.39 W/kg radiation
9. Apple iPhone 7
SAR: 1.38 W/kg radiation
10. Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact
SAR: 1.36 W/kg radiation
Is Android Safer Than Apple?
This is a tricky question as Android refers to the operating system used by the phone and most cell phone and smartphone manufacturers that aren’t Apple use the Android operating system. So if we were to say based on the list above, whether Apple phones are ranked less often than Android phones, the answer would be yes.
But when judging whether a cell phone has more or less radiation, that depends on the particular model of the phone, not the phone’s operating system
How Can I Check My Phone’s Radiation Level?
Referring to the German certification’s comprehensive list is likely the best place to find your cell phone’s level of radiation. The organization has studied and published SAR values for almost every cell phone you can purchase.
The FCC and FDA also share regulatory responsibilities for measuring SAR levels of consumer cell phones. More information can be found here on the FCC’s website and here on the FDA’s website.
Dangers of 5G
With the advent of 5G technology being implemented across the world, concerns have been elevated over the short millimeter wave-length frequencies that will be emitted by 5G towers. Though preventing this installation of 5G seems futile, there may be ways to mitigate its effects.
In terms of 5G cell phones, most of the newest cell phones are equipped to utilize the new technology, though they aren’t necessarily more or less radiative. For more info on the potential dangers of 5G check out this article.
Ways to Protect Yourself from Phone Radiation
Decrease Your Screen Time
Watch how much time you spend on your cell. Try to make your calls only the most necessary ones, and when you do use it, try to follow a two-minute rule of thumb. Research has shown that a short, two-minute call can alter the natural electrical activity of the brain up to one hour.
Text More Often
Text instead when you can. Obviously, don’t try this behind the wheel or any other time you need your full attention, but when a text will suffice, send one instead of dialing.
Buy a New Cell Phone
Swap out your high radiation cell for one with the least radiation or lowest SAR level. If your phone is on the list, make the switch. It’s worth paying an extra cost in order to preserve one of the most valuable things you have: your health.
Use a Headset or Speaker
Use a headset or speaker. Right now, there isn’t enough research to determine whether using a speaker or headset, rather than your phone itself, offers better protection. But one thing is known: the electromagnetic waves emitted by your phone are absorbed most often received by the temporal lobe of your brain, during normal usage (phone to your ear), and that part of your brain handles hearing, auditory processing, the formation of long-term memory, speech, and vision.
Keep at a Distance
Keep your phone away from your body and your waist during use. Again, it’s a device that emits and transmits electromagnetic waves that are absorbed by the soft tissues in your body. One study suggested that men who wear their cell phones near their waste could see their sperm count reduced by as much as one-third.
Delay Your Usage
Delay your use. If you’re using your phone without a headset, wait for your call to connect before putting it next to your ear. You can also wait until you’re able to use WiFi instead of your cellular data, as it’s less harmful.
Avoid Use in Metal Boxes
Avoid use in metal boxes. This sounds like funny advice, but using your phone in environments like an elevator or your car cuts signal strength and forces the phone to use more power to connect, which means it’s sending out even more radiation.
Avoid Weak Signal Areas
Try not to dial on a weak signal. If your cell signal is down to a few bars, consider waiting to use your phone. Again, it’s a power thing: less signal means more power is required for use.
Avoid Harmful EMFs
Shield yourself from EMFs (electromagnetic fields). You can do that by purchasing a scientifically validated EMF protection device or magnet. Doing so will strengthen your bioenergy field and immune system against the harmful effects of EMFs.
Take Your Vitamins
Support your body with proper nutrition. Think about supplementing your nutritional diet with antioxidants such as catalase, glutathione, and Coq10. You can also supplement with melatonin, Zinc, and Gingko Biloba.
About the Author
Why Do We Sleep? For More Reasons Than You May Think
Most of us spend about a third of our lives asleep, despite not really having an answer to the question, ‘why do we sleep?’ Now neuroscientists are realizing that sleep is more important than previously thought. They’re also realizing that the worn-out platitude, “you can sleep when you die,” is terrible advice, as that day will undoubtedly come sooner if you short yourself on a good night’s sleep.
According to most contemporary research, you should be getting around seven to eight hours of sleep every night, and if you think you can get by on fewer than that, there’s a really good chance you’re fooling yourself.
Why is Sleep Important?
While the exact mechanisms of sleep are still being studied, neuroscientists including Matthew Walker have made interesting learnings about what happens when we deprive ourselves of sleep and the impacts sleep (or lack thereof) has on society as a whole.
When we’re awake, Walker says that essentially, we’re causing low-level brain damage. By this, he is referring to the build-up of the sticky, toxic junk in our brain known as beta-amyloid. This accumulation of beta-amyloid has been found to correspond with the onset of Alzheimer’s, among many other adverse health effects correlated with a lack of sleep.
Sleep is beneficial as more than just a healing function; it also replenishes spent resources and regulates hormone levels that dictate our appetite, cognitive function, and motor skills. The two hormones that dictate whether we are hungry or full, ghrelin and leptin, have been observed to flare up and down, respectively, when we’re sleep deprived. This inevitably leads to an increase in hunger, but even worse, it leads our bodies to crave unhealthy and fattening foods — those heavy on carbs and light on greens. In fact, people who run on four to five hours of sleep per night tend to eat 200-300 more calories per day.
For men, sleep is an important regulator of hormones, most notably testosterone. Sleep-deprived males can have the same virility and strength as a man 10 years their senior. For women, a lack of sleep can lead to a significantly increased risk of breast cancer and drops in immune hormones.
According to Walker, just introducing a single night of just four hours of sleep among a normal eight-hour sleep schedule, can bring about a 70 percent drop in natural cancer-killing cells, the immune assassins that target malignant carcinogens. Every day our bodies produce these cells and others to fend off disease and maintain our health, and while a cat nap might make you feel refreshed, it won’t make up for the loss of these cells.
