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Anet Kasan

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 14, 2024
1
12
I need a new phone asap. My service provider is offering A great discount on iPhone 15. I’m questioning that haha so if anyone knows how is the 15 on emitting radiation? Or which phone would be the best with least radiation and work well without 5G turned on. Thank you awesome people
 

Shirasaki

macrumors P6
May 16, 2015
15,623
10,929
No iPhone on the market can emit radiation to a level of concern. you have more pressing matter to worry about than iPhone radiation.
Besides, “radiation” implies something about radioactive material. If that kind of material ever exists on those devices at a concerning level, Apple would be in huge regulatory trouble before even shipping products worldwide.
 

casperes1996

macrumors 604
Jan 26, 2014
7,436
5,578
Horsens, Denmark
It’s correct that the iPhone will not emit nuclear radiation. That’d be quite wild. But it will emit electromagnetic radiation for its various radios. But all the light you see around you is also electromagnetic radiation. Radiation is not inherently an issue. Not all radiation is the same. A bit to the OPs credit there have been concerns of people keeping cellular devices in chest pockets with pacemakers. And I believe it was the iPhone 12 that was required to find down its radios for France. So this might be a concerns if you have old poorly insulated pacemakers and use chest pockets to hold your phone right next to your heart. Or if you need to operate sensitive scientific equipment and absolutely need your phone near it too.

Otherwise; don’t worry about it
 

eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
28,818
26,923
I need a new phone asap. My service provider is offering A great discount on iPhone 15. I’m questioning that haha so if anyone knows how is the 15 on emitting radiation? Or which phone would be the best with least radiation and work well without 5G turned on. Thank you awesome people
The iPhone, like a variety of other tech emits non-ionizing radiation (and in very low amounts). The kind, that as @casperes1996 mentions the sun emits.Non-ionizing radiation includes visible, infrared, and ultraviolet light; microwaves; radio waves; and radiofrequency energy from cell phones.

You want to be concerned about ionizing radiation - that is the kind that has enough energy to remove an electron from an atom or molecule. And THAT radiation, as already mentioned, is the kind you find only around nuclear material or in the aftermath of a nuclear explosion or accident.

Tin-foil hats are unnecessary here.
 

robvalentine

macrumors 6502
Nov 21, 2014
344
858
I need a new phone asap. My service provider is offering A great discount on iPhone 15. I’m questioning that haha so if anyone knows how is the 15 on emitting radiation? Or which phone would be the best with least radiation and work well without 5G turned on. Thank you awesome people
Is there no 5G in your area? 5G is less powerful than sunlight which is the same type of electromagnetic radiation, just on a lower frequency

"Visible light operates at a frequency 100,000 times higher than 5G. Dangerous radiation that can cause harm from prolonged exposure like UV rays from the sun, X-rays and gamma rays are even higher up the spectrum – operating at frequencies a quadrillion times higher than 5G."
 

jedimasterkyle

macrumors 6502
Sep 27, 2014
418
610
Idaho
Your iPhone isn't powered by nuclear energy so you'll be fine. It's more dangerous to stand in front of a microwave and watch your food cook than it is to have your iPhone in your pocket with 5G on and even then, the amount of radiation you receive is sooo infinitely minuscule that it's the same as standing outside in the sun for a few minutes.
 

PsykX

macrumors 68020
Sep 16, 2006
2,410
3,161
You can take a look at SAR values :

I don't know if this source is credible, but Apple always publishes them. Publicly, but silently. Because iPhones are amongst the highest (lower = better) if you find that important.

The worst to be concerned about is the head value, but if you're like me, you'll always use good old EarPods, especially since according to MaxTech at least, as strange as it sounds, USB-C EarPods are offer better audio quality than AirPods.
 

Shirasaki

macrumors P6
May 16, 2015
15,623
10,929
Radio frequency (RF) radiation is radiation. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified RF radiation as a “possible human carcinogen.”

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/cell_phones._faq.html
Possible but no solid scientific proof to link such radiation with cancer, as per stated in the same article you quoted.

Besides, you are exposed to radiation from far more powerful sources (e.g. the Sun) and human has been evolved to survive well within that kind of radiation, and cellphone radiation is nowhere near that level.

It is more meaningful to stay far and far away from radiation contaminated areas than worrying about a phone that might cause you cancer. Let’s not to mention everyone needs a phone of sort to even do anything meaningful in modern world we live in.
 

attohs

macrumors member
Sep 13, 2017
96
321
California
Possible but no solid scientific proof to link such radiation with cancer, as per stated in the same article you quoted.

Besides, you are exposed to radiation from far more powerful sources (e.g. the Sun) and human has been evolved to survive well within that kind of radiation, and cellphone radiation is nowhere near that level.

It is more meaningful to stay far and far away from radiation contaminated areas than worrying about a phone that might cause you cancer. Let’s not to mention everyone needs a phone of sort to even do anything meaningful in modern world we live in.
I did not quote any article, I linked you to a CDC info website which contains a lot of helpful information. Do you have a link to a study that shows no solid scientific proof to link RF radiation with cancer? Please cite it. You should not make that claim without evidence.

Humans cannot survive direct radiation from the sun, which is why the earth's atmosphere is so important to us.

You are wrong in saying, "radiation implies something about radioactive material" and that is what I was trying to correct. You seemed to imply that means the iPhone contains radioactive materials, "besides, radiation implies something about radioactive material." Radio frequency radiation also exists, and it can be dangerous to life.

Finally, there is also nothing wrong with being cautious, as science has been wrong about plenty of substances and phenomena in the past. Better safe today than sorry tomorrow.
 

Shirasaki

macrumors P6
May 16, 2015
15,623
10,929
I did not quote any article, I linked you to a CDC info website which contains a lot of helpful information. Do you have a link to a study that shows no solid scientific proof to link RF radiation with cancer? Please cite it. You should not make that claim without evidence.
Can using a cell phone cause cancer?

There is no scientific evidence that provides a definite answer to that question. Some organizations recommend caution in cell phone use. More research is needed before we know if using cell phones causes health effects.

Should people stop using cell phones?

At this time we do not have the science to link health problems to cell phone use. Scientific studies are underway to determine whether cell phone use may cause health effects. It is also important to consider the benefits of cell phones. Their use can be valuable in an urgent or emergency situation – and even save lives.


> here. That’s what I am talking about, directly from within the faq you linked. I’m merely quoting from them.

Also, it is you who believes I imply iPhone to have radioactive material. What I say is when people talks about radiation generally, the implication is there likely be radioactive material involved. Maybe my implication is incorrect, but I am not saying iPhone “has” radioactive material.
 
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Analog Kid

macrumors G3
Mar 4, 2003
8,915
11,477
Besides, “radiation” implies something about radioactive material.
No it doesn’t. “Radioactive material“ implies a material that radiates. ”Radiate” has a perfectly functional definition that we don't need to adjust because uninformed people enter a conversation and get confused.

radiate: diverge or spread from or as if from a central point​
It's a perfectly good word to describe electromagnetic waves radiating from a source, spokes radiating from a hub, happiness radiating from a pleasant person, or high energy particles radiating from decaying matter.

Radiation is just the stuff radiating.
 
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