Which cell phones are potentially the most dangerous? With the recent findings by the World Health Organization that cell phone radiation may be linked to cancer, it's a question more people could be asking as they purchase new devices.
Along comes the Environmental Working Group (EWG) with just such a list. The U.S.-based non-profit claimed in 2009 that research shows that heavy cell phone users are at higher risk for brain and salivary gland tumors.
The WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) last week stated that there's evidence that mobile phones may be carcinogenic. That possible link between cell phone use and cancer was limited to glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer. The WHO and the IARC were unable to determine if mobile-phone use caused other types of cancers.
So if all of this is a maybe/possibly/potentially really big deal, where does your cell phone rank on the list of threats to your brain?
For starters, if you're concerned about cell phone radiation but can't go without a device, Motorola has a pair of ultra-low emitters, according to the EWG. The Motorola V100 and V101 both have radiation ratings of 0.14W/kg, lowest of the several hundred the EWG ranks on its list.
But good luck finding one of those units—Motorola doesn't make them anymore.
Switching focus to phones that are actually on the market, it turns out that the LG Quantum is the low-emissions winner, at 0.35 W/kg.
And the device that emits the highest levels of radiation? It's another phone from Motorola, which was doing so well with low-emission phones back in the early 2000s. The Motorola Bravo has the dubious honor of having the highest radiation levels (1.59 W/kg) on EWG's list of available phones.
Some other notable cell phones and smartphones on the list, with their emission levels (the most recently released devices haven't yet been rated):
- LG Quantum (0.35 W/kg)
- Samsung Transform (O.82 W/kg)
- Apple iPhone 3G (1.03 W/kg)
- Apple iPhone 4 (1.17 W/kg)
- Apple iPhone 3G S (1.19 W/kg)
- Blackberry Curve 8520 (1.22 W/kg)
- Blackberry Curve 3G 9330 (1.28 W/kg)
- Motorola Droid Pro (1.39 W/kg)
- HTC Droid Incredible (1.40 W/kg)
- Motorola Droid X (1.43 W/kg)
- Motorola Droid (1.50 W/kg)
- Motorola Droid 2 (1.50 W/kg)
- Motorola Droid R2D2 (1.50 W/kg)
- Blackberry Bold 9700 (1.55 W/kg)
- Palm Pixi (1.56 W/kg)
- Motorola Droid Global (1.58 W/kg)
- Motorola Bravo (1.59 W/kg)