Analysis of mobile phone design features affecting radiofrequency power absorbed in a human head phantom.
Kuehn S, Kelsh MA, Kuster N, Sheppard AR, Shum M. · 2013
View Original AbstractCell phone design dramatically affects radiation absorption, with technology type varying exposure by up to 100-fold during actual use.
Plain English Summary
Researchers analyzed how different cell phone designs affect the amount of radiofrequency energy absorbed by the head during calls. They found that phone technology type made the biggest difference in energy absorption, with older AMPS phones creating the highest levels and GSM phones the lowest. Phone shape, antenna design, and how you hold the phone also mattered, but to a lesser degree.
Why This Matters
This research reveals something crucial that most phone users never consider: the design of your phone significantly determines how much radiofrequency energy your head absorbs during calls. The science demonstrates that SAR levels can vary by a factor of 100 between different phone technologies, with real-world usage patterns creating even more dramatic differences. What this means for you is that not all phones expose you to the same levels of RF radiation. The finding that external antennas produce higher SAR levels than internal ones, and that holding your phone slightly away from your head reduces absorption, provides actionable information for reducing your exposure. While this study focused on technical measurements rather than health outcomes, it underscores how device engineering choices directly impact human RF exposure levels.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 850 MHz and 1900 MHz
Study Details
These test data, measured in phantoms with mobile phones operating at maximum antenna input power, permitted us to evaluate the variation in SARs across mobile phone design factors such as shape and antenna design, communication technology, and test date (over a 7-year period).
Descriptive statistical summaries calculated for 850 MHz and 1900 MHz phones and ANOVA were used to ...
Service technology accounted for the greatest variability in compliance test SARs that ranged from A...
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2013_analysis_of_mobile_phone_2313,
author = {Kuehn S and Kelsh MA and Kuster N and Sheppard AR and Shum M.},
title = {Analysis of mobile phone design features affecting radiofrequency power absorbed in a human head phantom.},
year = {2013},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23533135/},
}