Hi all- I purchased an iPhone over the weekend and accidentally dropped it on the sidewalk yesterday (it was in a hard plastic holster case). The phone was not scratched and it seems to be working perfectly. I remember reading a while back (not on this site) about internal damage caused by a drop to cell phones that might disrupt normal functioning and lead to an increase in the amount of radiation it emits. Any one know if there is any truth to this at all?
If you look carefully enough, you'll find material to read out there which claims almost anything. To determine the risk of 'increased radiation' from a dropped cellphone, one would first have to determine what types and levels of radiation the device created in the first place, and thus whether the casing or normal functioning of the device would actually put the user at risk in normal circumstances, let alone if the device was damaged in some way.
To be honest, I think the notion is nonsensical and likely nothing more than an urban myth. There are devices which can cause harmful radiation and where damage could render the effects somewhat worse than normal - microwave ovens are a good example, where a damaged door or door seal can cause leakage which is not good for humans. Cellphones however are very low power devices, and while there is inevitably some radiation (they are radio frequency transmitters after all) the casing would not be particularly protective - the frequency range is too high. Thus damage caused to the case wouldn't subject the user to any increased risk. Likewise, any internal damage capable of raising the risk to the user would realistically render clear operational issues after the damage was sustained since it would impact on antenna and signal reception.
Since there remains debate about whether cellphones actually pose a genuine health risk at all, all one could reasonably say is that you are not likely to be at any
additional risk unless you also note a degraded performance from the iPhone.
If you look carefully enough, you'll find material to read out there which claims almost anything. To determine the risk of 'increased radiation' from a dropped cellphone, one would first have to determine what types and levels of radiation the device created in the first place, and thus whether the casing or normal functioning of the device would actually put the user at risk in normal circumstances, let alone if the device was damaged in some way.
To be honest, I think the notion is nonsensical and likely nothing more than an urban myth. There are devices which can cause harmful radiation and where damage could render the effects somewhat worse than normal - microwave ovens are a good example, where a damaged door or door seal can cause leakage which is not good for humans. Cellphones however are very low power devices, and while there is inevitably some radiation (they are radio frequency transmitters after all) the casing would not be particularly protective - the frequency range is too high. Thus damage caused to the case wouldn't subject the user to any increased risk. Likewise, any internal damage capable of raising the risk to the user would realistically render clear operational issues after the damage was sustained since it would impact on antenna and signal reception.
Since there remains debate about whether cellphones actually pose a genuine health risk at all, all one could reasonably say is that you are not likely to be at any
additional risk unless you also note a degraded performance from the iPhone.
I think it is important to remember that none of these alleged effects have been quantitated in any reproducible or scientifically conclusive fashion. So if you are concerned AT ALL about the potential radiation effects of a cell phone, then I recommend that you use the headphones or a headset in order to put your mind at ease.
It is useful to note that the iPhone's antenna is located behind the black plastic part of the back cover, i.e., the part of the phone furthest away from the brain. Theoretically, this should help reduce any risk.
Thanks for the replies...Any sense as to why Apple recommends that you bring in your iPhone if it sustains a drop? Thought it might have had something to do with what I read (re: radiation)...perhaps not.
I'm just curious where it says Apple recommends having the iPhone looked at if you drop it?
I mean if you dropped it and cracked/shattered the glass there is the possibly you'd cut yourself if there was a edge but other than that I'd see no reason why Apple should look at it.
1000 years ago, there was no "claim" or "scientific proof" that the world wasn't the center of the universe doesn't mean it isn't.
Indeed, but that implies that there have not been comprehensive and scientific studies of cellphones and potential health hazards. Indeed, there have been hundreds of them. The US has been relatively slow to consider these issues, but in other parts of the world where cellular technology has reached greater maturity, there has been a great deal of open debate about health risks in the scientific community and amongst the general public. Given that the public are generally not likely to understand the technical measurements and detail of RF signals, frequency and risk, it's the debate on the measurements and findings which are crucial to understanding what hazards are involved to us in using these devices.
You get a higher dose of radiation from a round-trip plane trip than you will ever get from your cell phone (damaged or not). So, I guess you've got two choices--make a phone call or take a plane trip!
It says that in the PDF manual under troubleshooting...something to the effect, "...if it is dropped hard, bring it in to have it looked at". I don't have the PDF file open, but that's the sum of it.
