Without compromising functionality?
Well, the answer will bring relief to Nokia, LG, Siemens whose phones have undergone testing by TCO Development.
If the radiation emission of a phone ever becomes a prime selling criterion, then the ability of manufacturers to certify their phones as “low radiation” may be valuable.
So far the industry has resisted badging schemes because it fears them being interpreted in a negative way, in that they may encourage people to think of phones as being inherently unsafe unless otherwise badged.
But a Swedish company, TCO Development, has tested ten mobile phone models produced by seven different manufacturers to see if they meet the requirements for emitted radiation and ergonomics imposed by its own quality and environmental labelling system, TCO’01 Mobile Phones. The test included phones by LG, Motorola, Nokia, Sagem, Samsung, Siemens and SonyEricsson.
Three telephones met all the requirements concerned with emitted radiation and ergonomics:
* LG T5100
* Nokia 6260
* Siemens S65
“The outcome of this test clearly demonstrates that it is entirely possible and realistic to produce mobile phones that meet our requirements without compromising functionality,” adds Jan Rudling, CEO of TCO Development. “In the long run, TCO-labelled mobile phones offer manufacturers clear competitive advantages.”
Seven out of ten of the models tested failed to meet all emitted radiation and ergonomic requirements.
“TCO-labelling of mobile phones is essential,” comments Mikael Karlsson, Chairperson of the Swedish Society of Nature Conservation. “Obviously, consumers need to be able to choose mobile phones that will allow them to avoid unnecessary exposure to emitted radiation. Manufacturers, label your products and stop preventing people from making well-informed choices!”
TCO thinks that manufacturers whose phones have passed all of its test elements of the testing could use that as sales ammunition.
It must be pointed out that “failure” of these tests are evidence only that the phones involved have not met TCO’s own specifications.
At the end of 2001 TCO Development launched TCO ’01 Mobile Phones, a quality and environmental labelling system for mobile phones covering emitted radiation, usability and environmental factors. TCO claims this is an international labelling system which has been prepared in co-operation with leading experts and researchers, users, buyers and other interested parties.
The labelling has been created in the same way as the TCO labelling system for displays, a system that is an international standard today and has had a major impact on product development. Products are required to undergo tests in independent test laboratories before entitlement to use the TCO label is granted.
More information on the test and TCO in general can be found at the link below in a report titled “Which mobile phones emit the least radiation? Test of ten new mobile phones”.