After testing 25 different models of mobile phones, TCO Development, an arm of the Swedish white-collar union TCO based in Stockholm, is recommending only six of them. Seven of the phones failed to meet TCO's SAR standard of 0.8 W/Kg averaged over 10 g of tissue (see MWN, J/F01, p.6).
TCO Development states that its SAR limit is less strict than the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) SAR standard for certifying phones for sale in the U.S. (It is not clear how many of these models are available in the U.S. marketplace.) Eight other phones did not pass TCO's guidelines for communication efficiency. Three phones met both radiation standards but not the ergonomic requirements For instance, the way the number buttons are laid out on the face of the phone. The complete 14-page TCO Development report is available on its new Web site: www.mobilelabelling.com.
February 1, 2008
This 2004 report is now in the site's archive. The home page features a list of recently tested and some recommended phones.]
