[Merged] iPhone and Radiation Safety

[southcounty949]

I was sitting in the lobby of a dentist office ... during my wait, I decide to watch some YouTube on the iPhone. The minute I start downloading a video clip, the speakers around me start going crazy! (you know when you have your phone close to speakers and it makes that annoying noise.) The speakers were a few feet above me. Also, I have one of those old CRT monitors at work. When my iPhone is next to it, it goes crazy!!!!! Does anyone else have these problems? I hope that in a few years I don't have a tumor in my head the size of a bowling ball, lol

 

[ksz]

I haven't encountered this yet, but in general I use the earbuds whenever possible. I'm not too hung up about radiation, but I think it's better to err on the side of caution and minimize exposure.

 

[whawhat]

I was sitting in the lobby of a dentist office ... during my wait, I decide to watch some YouTube on the iPhone. The minute I start downloading a video clip, the speakers around me start going crazy! (you know when you have your phone close to speakers and it makes that annoying noise.) The speakers were a few feet above me. Also, I have one of those old CRT monitors at work. When my iPhone is next to it, it goes crazy!!!!! Does anyone else have these problems? I hope that in a few years I don't have a tumor in my head the size of a bowling ball, lol

this has happened to me when i am texting or calling people - my digital cable (espn2 HD) gets interruped/pixelated. very weird........

 

[103734]

its not radiation, radiation is gamma rays, and beta and alpha particles and as far as I know they do no effect electrical equipment. What your hearing is radio interference, it happens with alot of cell phones but I have noticed it happens alot with my iPhone. Normally it only effects cheap speakers that are not insulated very well but the iPhone even effects my high end speakers.

But yea its normal with cellphones

 

[southcounty949]

I haven't encountered this yet, but in general I use the earbuds whenever possible. I'm not too hung up about radiation, but I think it's better to err on the side of caution and minimize exposure.

just waiting for the day that a small bluetooth ear piece will allow me I to listen to music

 

[103734]

just waiting for the day that a small bluetooth ear piece will allow me I to listen to music

someone on this forum said if your in the middle of a call with a bluetooth headset you could go into the iPod and play music and you can hear music through the bluetooth headset intel you end the call, but thats not very practical.

 

[dukeblue91]

someone on this forum said if your in the middle of a call with a bluetooth headset you could go into the iPod and play music and you can hear music through the bluetooth headset intel you end the call, but thats not very practical.

Yeah this sounds more like a bug instead of a feature.

 

[growinglogic]

This is very common with GSM phones. My old CDMA phone didn't have this issue.

 

[torid110]

This is very common with GSM phones. My old CDMA phone didn't have this issue.

Yup, i had this happen all the time with my previous phone the motorola slvr. I know i have a call before the phone rings because there is some interference with the computer speakers on my desk Although, i have to say the iphone is way better in the interference department.

Check this out regarding phone interference :

http://consumerist.com/consumer/top/feeling-cingular-256353.php

 

[codpet]

I was sitting in the lobby of a dentist office ... during my wait, I decide to watch some YouTube on the iPhone. The minute I start downloading a video clip, the speakers around me start going crazy! (you know when you have your phone close to speakers and it makes that annoying noise.) The speakers were a few feet above me. Also, I have one of those old CRT monitors at work. When my iPhone is next to it, it goes crazy!!!!! Does anyone else have these problems? I hope that in a few years I don't have a tumor in my head the size of a bowling ball, lol

That's called GSM interference, and has nothing to do with the "radiation" or SAR output. The iPhone has a very low SAR rating compared to other phones.

The only way around that is to use a non-GSM phone (such as CDMA), or use it around speakers which are shielded.

Information:
SAR Rating (iPhone):
0.974 Watt/kg

SAR Rating (Treo 700p):
1.48 Watt/kg

SAR Rating (Blackberry Curve):
1.51 Watt/kg

SAR Rating (Motorola V195s):
1.6 Watt/kg

As you can see, the iPhone is a safer phone. However, the safest phone available is a Motorola Razr V3x, which has a SAR Rating of 0.14 Watt/kg.

 

[newtxmgf]

this has happened to me when i am texting or calling people - my digital cable (espn2 HD) gets interruped/pixelated. very weird........

YES!!! This happens to me as well. Not ESPNHD but HD Net. I pretty sure its interfering with the cable box itself..my cable box is a Motorola, TV is Samsung DLP.....it is odd.

 

[badtzmaru]

yes this happens when i am at my desk. When i place the iphone near my microsoft wireless mouse, the speakers make a slight "buzzing" noise. but only if i lay the phone all the way down -- as soon as i lift it up, the noise stops.

 

[Cleverboy]

I was sitting in the lobby of a dentist office ... during my wait, I decide to watch some YouTube on the iPhone. The minute I start downloading a video clip, the speakers around me start going crazy! (you know when you have your phone close to speakers and it makes that annoying noise.) The speakers were a few feet above me. Also, I have one of those old CRT monitors at work. When my iPhone is next to it, it goes crazy!!!!! Does anyone else have these problems? I hope that in a few years I don't have a tumor in my head the size of a bowling ball, lol

If you're playing YouTube over WiFi, you should NOT have this problem. Playing it over EDGE gets you all the interference that is normal to this type of cellphone technology. Also, were it not YouTube, but random burps during the playback of iPod content, I'd recommend going temporarily into "airplane mode" to eliminate the interference entirely.

~ CB

 

[Counterfit]

its not radiation, radiation is gamma rays, and beta and alpha particles and as far as I know they do no effect electrical equipment. What your hearing is radio interference, it happens with alot of cell phones but I have noticed it happens alot with my iPhone. Normally it only effects cheap speakers that are not insulated very well but the iPhone even effects my high end speakers.

But yea its normal with cellphones

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiant_energy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_radiation

 

[nicoboss]

actualy I was recording house on my DV when I got a call - interferences on my screen - on HBO HD, and then when I went to watch the recorded show, I have a few seconds interferences on the recording - just about when I got the phone call. .

be warned - it scrambles even DVR recordings....

 

[ksz]

its not radiation, radiation is gamma rays, and beta and alpha particles and as far as I know they do no effect electrical equipment. What your hearing is radio interference, it happens with alot of cell phones but I have noticed it happens alot with my iPhone. Normally it only effects cheap speakers that are not insulated very well but the iPhone even effects my high end speakers.

But yea its normal with cellphones

Technically you're both right and wrong. You're right in that radio frequency interference is likely to blame, but that too is radiation. It's not harmful to us because it has low energy (low frequency). Gamma rays and x-rays have much higher frequencies and are detrimental in high dosages. Microwaves are also radiation, but these are again lower frequency. Visible light is also radiation.

 

[103734]

Technically you're both right and wrong. You're right in that radio frequency interference is likely to blame, but that too is radiation. It's not harmful to us because it has low energy (low frequency). Gamma rays and x-rays have much higher frequencies and are detrimental in high dosages. Microwaves are also radiation, but these are again lower frequency. Visible light is also radiation.

Well I was just trying to point out it isn't the same radiation that everyone always associates with nuclear waste and atom bombs.

Thanks for the clarification though.

 

[megastuff999]

The iPhone has a very low SAR rating compared to other phones.

Information:
SAR Rating (iPhone):
0.974 Watt/kg

SAR Rating (Treo 700p):
1.48 Watt/kg

SAR Rating (Blackberry Curve):
1.51 Watt/kg

SAR Rating (Motorola V195s):
1.6 Watt/kg

As you can see, the iPhone is a safer phone. However, the safest phone available is a Motorola Razr V3x, which has a SAR Rating of 0.14 Watt/kg.

Have to say, you have picked comparisons of phones with very high SAR ratings there. When you consider that something like the N95 is only 0.56, the iPhone is actually rather highly rated.

SAR rating is by no means a definitive guide to how much radiation a device is pumping out (it is measured at ear level, even though it may be pumping out far more into your jaw for example) but can you really say the iPhone is low?

 

[ScottFitz]

iPhone 3G SAR Rating Concerns?

Time to get an earpiece. 1.38 One of the higher ones out there.

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6602_7-6258775-11.html

Now couple this to a recent article I read from a leading cancer surgeon...

http://www.upci.upmc.edu/news/upci_news/2008/072308_celladvisory.html


All that said, I love my iphone 3G. Just spending as much time using my Jawbone as possible.

 

[Van Wildonher]

Manufacturer and model SAR level(digital)
1 Motorola V195s 1.6
2 Motorola W385 1.54
2b RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 (Sprint) 1.54
2c RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 (Verizon Wireless) 1.54
5 Motorola Deluxe ic902 1.53
5a T-Mobile Shadow (HTC) 1.53
5b Motorola i335 1.53
8 Samsung Sync SGH-C417 1.51
9 HTC SMT5800 1.49
9a Motorola Z6c 1.49

Better not use any phone without a headset if you're worried.

 

[dissdnt]

Time to get an earpiece. 1.38 One of the higher ones out there.

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6602_7-6258775-11.html

Now couple this to a recent article I read from a leading cancer surgeon...

http://www.upci.upmc.edu/news/upci_news/2008/072308_celladvisory.html


All that said, I love my iphone 3G. Just spending as much time using my Jawbone as possible.

Yah you'll just get cancer on your jawbone instead lol

 

[darkspym7]

iPhone radiation hurting my leg?

My leg sometimes bothers me when I keep my iPhone in my pocket. I'm curious if this has anything to do with the radiation it's putting out.

My last phone sometimes did the same (it had around the same SAR level), but I've never experienced anything else with my previous phones.

Has anyone else experienced anything similar?

 

[SFStateStudent]

Has anyone else experienced anything similar?

Mine is in my front pocket everyday and there's nothing wrong with my leg. But, I was at the airport the other day and this older lady came running up to me and began pulling on my arm, crying, and yelling "Son, it's me your mother!" I said your not my Mother, please let go of me. She fell to the ground and started pulling on my leg, screaming "Son, Son, it's me your mother!" She began crawling and grabbing and pulling my leg...just like I'm pulling your leg...LOL Go see a doctor.

 

[bit_bucket]

My leg sometimes bothers me when I keep my iPhone in my pocket. I'm curious if this has anything to do with the radiation it's putting out.

My last phone sometimes did the same (it had around the same SAR level), but I've never experienced anything else with my previous phones.

Has anyone else experienced anything similar?

Check out the SAR numbers for the iPhone, they are listed in the supplemental that came with it, the same booklet as the warrantee info, they are very low compared to other cell phones and compared to the suggested limits. I am not discounting what you are saying, but there are many other factors that could be causing this, IE age, changing weather systems as well as previous injuries. I myself have terrible pain when there are pressure changes due to weather systems coming in.

 

[chinl]

Is it the size/shape of the phone pressing against you leg? That would be significantly more likely than anything to do with radiation unless you are many, many, many times more sensitive than normal.