Pick a safer smart phone

Find out which of the hot new phones on the market give off the highest and lowest levels of radiation.

Wed, Feb 17 2010 at 2:35 PM EST

Photo: leemcarthur/Flickr

The health effects of cell phone radiation is a growing concern — which is why many cell phone users have been consulting a Cell Phone Radiation Guide to figure out which phones let them keep talking and texting while limiting radiation as much as possible. That report was put together by Environmental Working Group last September — and this year, the environmental health nonprofit has come out with an update to cover the new, most-popular cell phones of 2010.

The bad news: Some of the most-hyped phones that have gotten raves from tech experts also give off quite a bit of radiation. Motorola’s Droid, Blackberry Bold 9700, LG Chocolate Touch and HTC Nexus One by Google are among the flashy phones to avoid because all four “are pushing the edge of radiofrequency radiation safety limits set by the Federal Communications Commission,” according to EWG.

The good news: A number of smart phones on the market keep you connected without leaching so much radiation. EWG notes that the Motorola Brute i680, Samsung Mythic, and Pantech Impact are phones with some of the lowest emissions — and advises cell phone users to stick to these lower-emissions phones until we learn more about the long-term health effects of cell phone radiation.

In the market for a new phone? If you’re willing to switch carriers, consult EWG’s list of phones with the lowest emissions (PDF) to pick from the best. Sticking with your current carrier? Then click on your carrier’s name on EWG’s “Get a Safer Phone” page to get a list of the phones available through your carrier. The phones will be sorted with those with lowest radiation at the top of the list. And for added safety, follow EWG’s 8 tips to reduce cell phone radiation exposure.

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