The Phones Emitting the Least Radiation

Having already revealed the current phones which emit the most radiation, this chart looks at the opposite end of the scale. While conclusive longitudinal research on the effects of cell phone radiation is still hard to come by, for those looking to minimize the risks, this list may be useful.

The German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz) has a comprehensive database of smartphones – new and old – and the level of radiation they emit when held to the ear during a call. Following the criteria set for this chart (see footnotes), the smartphone creating the lowest level of radiation is the Samsung Galaxy Note8 – with a specific absorption rate of 0.17 watts per kilogram. In fact, Samsung handsets also feature prominently, with half of the top ten coming from the South Korean company. This contrasts starkly with their major rival Apple. Two iPhones occupy a place in the list of phones which emit the most radiation, compared to none from Samsung.

While there is no universal guideline for a ‘safe’ level of phone radiation, the German certification for environmental friendliness ‘Der Blaue Engel’ (Blue Angel) only certifies phones which have a specific absorption rate of less than 0.60 watts per kilogram. All of the phones featured here are well under this benchmark.

Smartphone Infographic

U.S. 4G Networks Are Improving Across the Board

While the United States is one of the leading countries in the world in terms of smartphone penetration, the country’s mobile networks haven’t always been up to speed. According to a global comparison conducted by OpenSignal in Q4 2017, U.S. 4G networks were lagging in terms of average download speed. With an average download rate of 16.3 Mbps, U.S. smartphone users reached less than half the speed of mobile internet users in countries such as South Korea, Norway or Singapore.

While still not on par with the world’s best, a more recent OpenSignal report on the state of mobile networks in the U.S. shows that 4G speeds are improving across all major networks. As the following chart shows, T-Mobile and Verizon have passed the 20 Mbps mark in Q2 2018, with both companies’ customers finding a 4G connection 93.7 percent of the time. AT&T and Sprint both lag behind the national average in terms of download speeds, but both have made significant improvements over the past 12 months.

4G Network Infographic

The Top 10 Android Apps in the U.S.

The top ten Android apps in the U.S. last month had a combined download figure of 19 million. According to Priori Data, at the top of the list was trending game Kick the Buddy with almost three million downloads in June.

Android App Infographic