Which mobile phones emit the least radiation?

Test of 25 mobile phones

Report by TCO Development May 2004

Edition 2

CONTENTS

1. Foreword (with reference to version 2) 2. Summary 3. Background and selection 4. Mobile labelling in brief 5. How the test was conducted 6. Results 7. Notes to the results 8. Conclusions

3 3 4 5 6 7 9 11

Appendix: TCO01 Mobile Phones requirements

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1. FOREWORD (with reference to version 2)

This is version 2 of the report. The amendments made are due to the fact that we have obtained a full test report on the SAR value of the Samsung V-200 which confirms that the SAR value is 0.68 W/kg. Samsung regrets the fact that an inaccurate SAR value (1.36 W/kg) was shown on their website. It was this value that was used in the first version of our report. As a result of this amendment, the number of recommended models has increased to seven.

2. SUMMARY
TCO tested 25 mobile phone models (GSM) sold on the Swedish market to see if they met the radiation (emissions) and ergonomic requirements contained in our TCO01 Mobile Phones labelling system. The results of the test showed that: - the following seven telephones met all tested requirements concerned with emitted radiation and ergonomics: LG G7100 Motorola C550 Panasonic EB-GD87 Panasonic EB-X70 Sagem MYV-65 Samsung SGH-V200 Sharp GX20 - another three telephones met the emitted radiation but not the ergonomics requirements. - a total of 15 telephones failed to meet the emitted radiation requirements. The telephones that met all requirements are presented in a published list of recommended telephones. Up until we have the first TCO-labelled mobile phone, it is open to all manufacturers/operators/retailers and other interested parties to qualify their models for inclusion on the list. You can find the list of approved telephones and other important information about mobile phone labelling on TCO Developments website on www.mobilelabelling.com.

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3. BACKGROUND AND SELECTION

Manufacturers offered free tests At the end of 2003, TCO Development sent an offer to mobile phone manufacturers and operators worldwide as well as to a number of Swedish retailers. The offer included free testing of mobile phones in accordance with the requirements contained in the TCO01 Mobile Phones labelling system. A condition of the tests was that the telephones that met the requirements would be listed on our website www.tcodevelopment.com. The manufacturers were guaranteed that failure of any of their telephones to meet the requirements would not be publicised. Our purpose was to promote interest in the labelling system and give users and purchasers guidance concerning telephone purchases before TCO-labelled phones become available. Another important reason for the tests was to develop the basis for planned updating of the labelling system. Our offer of tests was met with a positive response from some retailers who volunteered to submit phones for testing. After receiving a negative response from the manufacturers whose models they intended testing, they felt forced to withdraw from the test. No manufacturer or operator submitted a phone for testing. We decided to procure some phones ourselves and complete the tests as planned. The following telephones were tested by us: Manufacturer
LG LG LG Motorola Motorola Nec Nokia Nokia Nokia Nokia Panasonic Panasonic Sagem Samsung Samsung Samsung Sharp Siemens Siemens SonyEricsson SonyEricsson SonyEricsson SonyEricsson SonyEricsson SonyEricsson

This is how we selected the telephones In our selection we aimed to cover the most commonly purchased telephone models on the market (GSM) and, at the same time, achieve a good spread of manufacturers and price ranges. We also selected some of the more unusual models on the Swedish market. One of the phones (NEC e808) is a 3G telephone that can also be used in the GSM network. Eleven of the telephones were of the folding type (clamshell) many with an external antenna while 14 were ordinary mobile phones with an inbuilt antenna. Since we procured the telephones ourselves, we have made a complete report of the results which shows how all the telephones performed regarding each of the requirements.

Model
G5300 G7000 G7100 C550 V525 e808 3650 6230 6600 6610 EB-GD87 EB-X70 MYV-65 SGH-E700 SGH-S300M SGH-V200 GX20 M55 SX1 P800 P900 T610 T630 T68i Z600

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4. MOBILE LABELLING IN BRIEF

TCOs display labelling system has become the world standard TCO Development has launched the worlds first quality and environmental labelling for mobile phones, TCO01 Mobile Phones. TCOs mobile phone labelling system has been created in the same way as the TCO labelling system for displays which has had a major global impact and improved the working environment of hundreds of millions of users worldwide. It is likely to have as great an impact as display labelling. What are we labelling? TCO'01 Mobile Phones is a labelling system for ordinary mobile phones. The relevant requirements are in the areas of emissions (radiation), ergonomics and ecology. Emissions The labelling includes the SAR value, the accepted means of measuring radiant energy absorbed by the users head when the phone is transmitting at full power. We have also introduced TCP (Telephone Communication Power) which is a new method for determining a phones communication ability. A good telephone should use a major part of its power for communication purposes and as little as possible of the emitted radiation should be absorbed by the users head. Consequently, a good combination would be a low SAR value and a high TCP value. The SAR limit value is a maximum of 0.80 W/kg and the TCP value a minimum of 0.30 W. Ergonomics A telephone should also be easy to use. The requirements include the buttons, display design, user-friendliness of the manual and the material used for the cover to avoid problems with contact allergies. Ecology This section lists the substances that are completely banned from use in telephones cadmium, quicksilver and beryllium oxide and those which can only be used to a limited extent lead and flame-retarding agents. See appendix for more detailed information about the contents and limit values included in mobile labelling.

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5. HOW THE TEST WAS CONDUCTED

The tests and assessments were completed as follows: Emitted radiation For emitted radiation, the TCO labelling system includes requirements concerning the assessment of the telephones SAR value (Specific Absorption Rate) and requirements concerning the assessment of the telephones communication ability, TCP (Telephone Communication Power). For the SAR value, we have used the manufacturers declared value as stated either in the telephone manual or on the manufacturers website. Measurements of TCP values were undertaken by Bluetest AB who also designed and documented the measuring method described in TCO01 Mobile Phones. Ergonomics The ergonomic assessments in TCO01 Mobile Phones were performed by a panel of three staff members at TCO Development and include all the requirements apart from the external materials (allergy risk). Ecology We have not assessed the six ecological requirements that are concerned with certified environmental management systems for manufacturers, the prohibition of quicksilver, cadmium, beryllium oxide and restrictions on lead and the labelling of plastic components. These evaluations are on condition the manufacturer submits documentation confirming the requirements of some of the certification organizations (Semko, Nemko or IVF [Institut fr Verkstadsteknik Forskning] {Industrial Research and Development Corporation}) authorized by TCO Development have been met.

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6. RESULTS
The following tables show the various areas assessed if the telephone meets the requirements or if a feature could not be assessed. On the basis of the test results, we have divided the telephones into three categories. 1. Telephones that meet all the assessed requirements concerning emitted radiation and ergonomics, and which can, therefore, be recommended are:
Model G7100 C550 EB-GD87 EB-X70 SGH-V200 MYV-65 GX20 TCPvalue Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes SAR value Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Buttons Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Display Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Manual Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes External material Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Ecology Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed

Manufacturer LG Motorola Panasonic Panasonic Samsung Sagem Sharp

2.

Telephones that met the emitted radiation but not the ergonomics requirements
Model e808 3650 6600 TCPvalue Yes Yes Yes SAR value Yes Yes Yes Buttons No No Yes Display Not assessed Yes No Manual Yes Yes Yes External material Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Ecology Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed

Manufacturer Nec Nokia Nokia

Nokia 3650 does not meet the requirement that the number buttons configuration should be in accordance with international standards. NEC e808 also fails to meet the number buttons configuration requirement but this is a 3G telephone that can also be used in the GSM network. The manufacturer has designed the telephone so that the keyboard is in accordance with international standards for keyboards Nokia 6600 does not meet character size requirements

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3.

Telephones that failed to meet the emitted radiation requirements

This group includes all 15 remaining telephones. Fourteen met the ergonomics requirements. Siemens SX-1 failed to meet the number buttons configuration and character size requirements.
Manufacturer LG LG Motorola Nokia Nokia Samsung Samsung Siemens Siemens SonyEricsson SonyEricsson SonyEricsson SonyEricsson SonyEricsson SonyEricsson Model G5300 G7000 V525 6230 6610 SGH-E700 SGHS300M M55 SX1 P800 P900 T610 T630 T68i Z600 TCPvalue No No Yes No No No Yes No No No Yes No No No No SAR value Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes Buttons Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Display Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Manual Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes External material Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Ecology Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed Not assessed

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7. NOTES TO THE RESULTS

Emitted radiation: SAR and TCP values The telephones SAR and TCP values are shown in the diagram below. There you can see how the telephones perform in relation to TCO labelling requirements which for the SAR value are a maximum of 0.80 W/kg and for the TCP value a minimum of 0.30 W. The nine telephones that meet both requirements are shown in the tinted area. The telephones with the best margins in both SAR and TCP values are LG 7100, Panasonic EB-GD87, Panasonic EB-X70 and Sharp GX 20. Twelve phones failed to meet the TCP value requirements and six failed to meet the SAR value. Three telephones failed to meet any of the requirements. Sony Ericsson Z600 has an extremely low SAR value (0.16) but fails to meet the minimum TCP requirement.

Phone A B C D E F G H I J K L M

Manufacturer LG LG LG Motorola Motorola Nec Nokia Nokia Nokia Nokia Panasonic Panasonic Sagem

Model G5300 G7000 G7100 C550 V525 e808 3650 6230 6600 6610 EB-GD87 EB-X70 MYV-65

Phone N O P Q R S T U V X Y Z

Manufacturer Samsung Samsung Samsung Sharp Siemens Siemens SonyEricsson SonyEricsson SonyEricsson SonyEricsson SonyEricsson SonyEricsson

Model SGH-E700 SGH-S300M SGH-V200 GX20 M55 SX1 P800 P900 T610 T630 T68i Z600

2005-05-11 Lack of information about SAR value There were significant gaps in the information concerning SAR values provided by the manufacturers. Despite the fact that they promised several years ago to provide clear information about the SAR value of their phones, it is often difficult to find this information. Information about SAR values was not published in the manuals of approximately half the phones tested. In such cases, the information was found on the manufacturers websites. We should emphasise that the SAR values given are those declared by the manufacturers themselves. We have not had the opportunity to check the documentation and, therefore, do not know which laboratory produced the measurements or whether or not this laboratory is accredited for the measuring method. TCP values at same level as for 2001 The results for the TCP values are at the same level as the tests completed in 2001. This year we measured a TCP mean value of 0.40 W for 900 MHz and 0.37 W of 1800 MHz. The mean value for 2004 is 0.38 W on both telephone bandwidths. It is more difficult to see if there has been any change in the SAR value. The measuring method for SAR has changed somewhat since 2001 and, for that reason, there is very little data concerning measurements available from the manufacturers. The dimensions and weight of the phones has changed very little since 2001. The proportion of telephones with external antennae has fallen and folding (clamshell) phones have arrived. Attached headset a positive feature A headset is included with approximately half the models which was encouraging. Two manufactures, LG and Samsung, include headsets with all the models tested. On the other hand, we have not come across any information in the manuals or on the websites that unequivocally recommend the use of a headset. Ergonomics evaluation Three telephones failed to meet the number buttons configuration requirements. In these cases, a more unusual arrangement of the buttons was adopted than the international standard that facilitates use. For the 3G phone produced by NEC, a configuration that corresponds with the standard for keyboards has been chosen which may be because the phone is mainly used for text messaging. The size of the characters is a weak point on many of the phones, especially for text messaging where many of the phones are close to the minimum requirement of 2 mm for text (SMS) and 2.5 mm for figures (telephone calls). Two of the telephones failed to meet the minimum requirements. On all of the Samsung models tested, Sagem MYV-65 and almost all Sony Ericsson models (5 out of 6) the character sizes can be changed, which is desirable. Nevertheless, it is difficult to find any information about this option in the manual or telephone menus.

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8. CONCLUSIONS
Only approximately 25 % of the phones met all the assessed requirements. This outcome corresponds extremely well with our earlier evaluations that 20-25 % of the phones on the market would meet the TCO labelling requirements. Consequently, a clear majority of the telephones failed. This clearly demonstrates that TCO labelling requirements are tough but realistic and that a label is needed to highlight the best phones available. The results also show that there is a wide disparity in terms of SAR and TCP values between the telephones tested. Slightly more than 1/3 of the phones met the TCO01 Mobile Phones emitted radiation requirements. There is a huge difference between the best and the worst phones in terms of emitted radiation. The best phones of all should be capable of meeting even stricter requirements than those contained in TCO01 Mobile Phones. From the point of view of users, it would be desirable if manufacturers started competing with each other to produce phones that reduce unnecessary radiation to which users are exposed. The challenge for manufacturers should be to ensure that virtually all radiation emitted by the phone is used for communication purposes and that radiation absorbed by the users head is minimal. Several phones did not meet our basic ergonomic requirements concerning the design of the keypad and display. It is of very little value to the professional user when the manufacturer comes up with a new configuration for the number buttons. The one intention behind the international standard is to make it quick and easy for the user to find the right buttons. It is also desirable for the user to be able to adjust the size of the characters. When we update TCO01 Mobile Phones, we will also consider additional requirements concerning display characteristics. Requirements concerning the minimum character size on the buttons and function buttons (four-sided tilting mechanism type) may also be introduced. A headset supplied with the telephone should also be obligatory. List of recommended telephones The purpose of our work is to encourage manufacturers, operators and/or retailers to certify their telephones. The tests and evaluations reported here are a step in the right direction. The telephones that met all requirements are presented in a published list of recommended telephones. Up until we have the first TCO-labelled mobile phone, it is open to all manufacturers/operators/retailers and other interested parties to qualify their models for inclusion on the list. Certification in accordance with TCO01 Mobile Phones comprises a full evaluation of the telephones performance, including ecological factors and the phones external materials. As soon any mobile phones have been certified, the list of recommended telephones will be removed and replaced with a list of certified phones. Research shows that it is possible to produce phones that lie within the limit values without compromising on functionality. Together with the manufacturers, we can now

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2005-05-11 focus on producing a joint mobile labelling system, thereby removing the fear, anxiety and uncertainty of millions of users both in Sweden and abroad. The list of recommended mobile phones can be found on www.mobilelabelling.com and www.tcodevelopment.com.

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APPENDIX
TCO01 Mobile Phones summary. Information A.1.1 TCO Document A TCO Document written in English shall accompany the product, describing why these particular requirements have been chosen for the products within the scheme of TCO01 Mobile phones, and what is expected to be achieved by them.

Emissions A.2.1 SAR measurement The SAR value shall be equal to or less than 0.8 W/kg for any cube of 10 g phantom tissue. The test report shall fulfil the requirements in EN 50361. Note: The EU applies a SAR value of maximum 2.0 W/kg. A.2.2 Telephone Communication Power, TCP The average TCP (averaged over the four telephone positions) for each band/mode/antenna of the phone, shall be equal or greater than 0.3 W for GSM phones. Explanation: Measurement of the SAR-value is carried out with the mobile phone transmitting at maximum power. But the amount of power that is needed for transmission depends on the strength of the signal reaching the base station. The higher the value of TCP normally the greater the signal strength reaching the base station, which permits a greater reduction in the power of the telephone transmitter and consequently a lower exposure to the user is achieved. A good combination is a low SAR-value and and a high TCP-value.

Ergonomics A.3.1.1 Key shape, layout, text and legibility

1. 2.

The keys shall be distinctly recognised by perception of touch. The surface of the keys shall be made of material that is distinctly different, by means of colour coding and perception of touch, from the surrounding surface. The numeric keypad layout shall comply with the international standard for numerical keypad layout (1-9, 0, *, #). The function keys shall be clearly separated, by colour and form or by form from the numeric keys. The keypad shall have lighting that illuminates the characters and symbols on the keys, thereby showing the position of each button.

3.

4.

5.

A.3.1.2 Key depression force, activation and feedback Actuation of a key shall need a depression force and be accompanied by feedback. The indication upon key activation shall be given in both a tactile and audible manner.

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2005-05-11 A.3.2 Material Characteristics The outside surfaces of the housing, battery pack and buttons shall not contain nickel or chromium, neither in the material used nor as a surface treatment. A.3.3 Visual Ergonomics The symbol height shall be equal to or larger than 2.0 mm for capital letters and 2.5 mm for numbers. (In the original document the limit stated was 3 mm. The alteration is justified by the fact that the contrast and luminance of the displays have been improved since the requirement was introduced in 2001). A.3.4 Accessories The following accessories shall be made available for TCO-certified mobile phones: battery charger, hands-free, either headset or earpiece, with a connected microphone, vibrator without or in combination with a battery pack. The manual shall specify the manufacturers, models and types of the accessories. A.3.4 Instruction manual A users instruction manual shall accompany the mobile telephone on delivery to the user. The users instruction manual shall contain the internet address where it is possible to find the manual text, information concerning where to obtain assistance with problems encountered while using the mobile phone and a declaration of accessories like battery charger and handsfree, either headphone or earpiece with connected microphone

Ekology A.4.1 Environmental management system certification The manufacturing company must be certified in accordance with ISO 14001, or EMAS A.4.2.1 Mercury (Hg) and Cadmium (Cd) The telephone shall not contain mercury or cadmium. A.4.2.2 Lead (Pb) The batteries, paint, lacquer, cables and plastic components in the telephone shall not contain lead. A.4.2.3 Flame retarding agents Plastic components shall not contain flame retardants that contain organically bound chlorine or bromine. A.4.2.4 Brominated and Chlorinated plastics Plastic components that weigh more than 10 grams in the telephone shall not contain brominated or chlorinated plastics. A.4.2.5 Beryllium oxide (BeO) The telephone shall not contain beryllium oxide. A.4.3 Labelling of plastics Plastic components that weigh more than 10 grams shall be labelled in accordance with ISO.

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