Radiation safety is an important parameter that decides whether the phone is safe or not. Regulatory authorities mandate radiation levels to be below the prescribed level. Independent tests have revealed that the iPhone 7 radiation exceeds the legal limit for the energy absorbed by human tissue.

The tests were conducted in line with federal guidelines and were also conducted on other phones to establish accuracy. The Apple iPhone 7 was made to operate at the full tower and was immersed in clear liquid. The liquid is created such that it will simulate human tissue. A thin probe was sent into the water in order to measure the amount of radiofrequency the liquid is absorbing from the smartphone.

The results showed that Radiofrequency radiation from iPhone 7 went well above the safety level. In fact, the radiation level is said to be double as that of Apple’s rated values. Meanwhile, Apple has refuted the claims and said that the proximity sensor was not triggered. Now FCC has sprung into action and says that it will conduct its own tests,

After reviewing the lab reports from the Tribune’s tests, the FCC said it would take the rare step of conducting its own testing over the next couple of months.

We take seriously any claims on non-compliance with the RF (radio frequency) exposure standards and will be obtaining and testing the subject phones for compliance with FCC rules,” agency spokesman Neil Grace said.”

Chicago Tribune test also included three Samsung smartphones, however, all of them were found to be under the safety limit when tested. It has also come to light that FCC specifications are draconian in nature especially since they were formulated in the ’90s.

Companies testing a new phone for compliance with the safety limit also are permitted to position the phone up to 25 millimeters away from the body — nearly an inch — depending on how the device is used. That’s because the testing standards were adopted in the 1990s when people frequently carried cellphones on belt clips

In order to expose the usefulness of the law, Chicago Tribune reran the tests by placing phones 2 millimeters away from the body. This time around a majority of models exhibited radiation levels that were more than double the prescribed limit.

Apple’s response reads as follows

Apple […] issued a statement, repeating that the Tribune test results for the iPhone 7s “were inaccurate due to the test setup not being in accordance with procedures necessary to properly assess the iPhone models.”

All iPhone models, including iPhone 7, are fully certified by the FCC and in every other country where iPhone is sold,” the statement said. “After careful review and subsequent validation of all iPhone models tested in the (Tribune) report, we confirmed we are in compliance and meet all applicable … exposure guidelines and limits

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