I’ve always been a cell phone slacker. You know the type, that carries around an outdated phone that just isn’t cool anymore. I would usually get a basic semi-cheap phone with the smallest footprint possible just so I can carry it around in my pocket like a pack of gum. In most cases I’ve been willing to stay one step behind the latest technology, especially when it came to cell phones because I have a computer that can perform all of the same tasks. Besides it was only ten years ago that I painstakingly figured out how to call my home phone number and enter a code into the answering machine to get my voicemails. I would have to quickly enter the code before the greeting was over to prevent burning another quarter on the pay phone I was dialing from. I’ve come a long ways since those days, or so I thought.
Like so many people that have been pushed reluctantly into the the computer age, I’m being pushed into the Smartphone age. The cell phone I was using just wasn’t cutting it. Text messages were nearly impossible to send, and at times during a call I’d get a violent screeching sound out of the blue. Dropped calls were a daily occurrence, and most of the time I couldn’t even get a signal in my own home. The best or worst problem (depending on whose perspective) was that the phone would turn off after my wife called me. No ring and no missed call indication; the phone would just power off. Oddly enough this almost always happened when my wife called, and rarely when anyone else called. Some friends would joke that was really just a bonus feature, but my better half didn’t think it was so funny.
I found out that I get a healthy discount on cell phones through my employer, and my current cellular contract was about to expire, it was time to upgrade! I started my research in typical fashion by reading reviews posted on cnet and amazon wireless. When I mentioned to a (much younger) coworker that I was thinking about getting a Blackberry he said nonchalantly “don’t get the 8300 model because it has one of the highest radiation levels of all phones”. I’ve always known that cell phones emit some sort of signal that could potentially be bad for your brain, but beyond that I didn’t really have much more knowledge of the issue, nor did I initially consider factoring that into my buying decision.
I located the article my coworker told me about on cnet called Cell Phone radiation Levels. The article explains what the SAR (specific absorption rate) is for RF signals into the body, and how that number is regulated by the FCC on cell phones. In the U.S. the maximum allowable amount is 1.6 watts per kilogram. Surprisingly the allowable SAR limit is higher in Europe at 2.0. In the side column of the CNET article there are links to different manufacturers so you can look up the SAR rating of most cell phones out today.
The CNET article states just like many others including this one from CNN that there is no conclusive evidence that cell phones are dangerous. Common sense does however tell us that anything unnatural like radiation coming out of a device we put next to our brain can’t possibly be a good thing over long periods of time. There has been so much made over this subject in the last 10 years or so since cell phones have become commonplace that you have to wonder if there really is something to all of this. Consider this, people have always known that smoking is a bad thing, even before surgeon general warnings and links to lung cancer. They just didn’t know how bad it was until the last few decades.
Even before I researched this topic in detail I always took precautions when using my cell phone by using a wired headset when on long conversations. It’s safer anyway when you are doing any type of activity while talking on the phone, and in many states (including Oregon starting next year) a headset will be required by law while driving. Keep in mind Bluetooth devices still have their own SAR levels, but most likely its much less than the phone itself.
While in the cell phone store I asked a few different sales associates about cell phone radiation levels and they all seemed to be very knowledgeable about radiation and the SAR subject (not to be confused with SARS). Most of them just dismissed it as “it’s just a fact of life” and suggested getting a Bluetooth headset (additional sale) to reduce your exposure. One salesman commented that living within 3 miles of a power plant is a greater radiation risk than using a cell phone. I was unable to substantiate that via google search, but did produce this Wikipedia article on the topic which outlines a dizzying amount of information that basically translates to- he says, she says, but who really knows for sure.
I’ve often wondered if living in an urban area with all of the radio frequencies of radio, tv, phones, wifi, power lines, and everything else that goes along with city life is in itself more dangerous to our health than living in a small remote town with a population of around 10,000. Certainly living in a downtown area would be the most harmful when you add in other factors like pollution, however your quality of life might be more rewarding if you can walk to the local store, bar, coffee shop, and weekend festivals. This of course only applies if you live in a nice downtown like Portland. The bottom line is you have to figure out what gives you the most reward, and what you are willing to sacrifice for that reward; be it health, time, money, or otherwise. This applies to many other things in life as well. Reward vs sacrifice; its a delicate balance.
As I pondered this philosophy I reviewed all of the phones I was interested in. The Blackberry Bold I was initially interested in had one of the highest radiation levels at 1.51 which I deemed unacceptable. Another phone by Sony Ericson boasted the best camera available in a cell phone at 8 megapixels which was very cool, but it wasn’t even a smart phone and had SAR levels of 1.32, plus no qwerty keypad. Non smart phones typically seem to have a much lower SAR level on average, but that isn’t always the case. Check this article for a list of the 10 best and worst SAR level phones.
I eventually decided on the RIM Blackberry Curve 8900 which had a relatively low SAR level for a smart phone at 1.01. Note that other Blackberry and even some curve models do have higher SAR ratings like the Curve 8300 which is 1.51 like the Bold. The BB8900 I chose allows me to send a text message about 10 times faster than my old phone, makes a good iPod impersonation, and I can check the weather at the trailhead in a web browser; outstanding! The real deciding factor for me was that the Blackberry is the email king of cell phones, it’s like having Outlook on your cell phone!
To me I feel it was worth it to enhance my life and communications with others by upgrading to a smartphone. I’ll still keep an eye on this topic though, and use my headset whenever possible. Additionally I won’t be carrying this new phone around in my pocket 24/7 like I have with phones in the past, but that is ok because I won’t need to, this phone actually rings before it disconnects the call.
