While the FCC mandates that all cellular devices sold in the United States undergo testing for Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), there has historically been a lack of consumer-facing tools to monitor these levels in real-time. Addressing this gap, Israeli startup Tawkon has developed a radiation detection application designed to provide users with immediate insight into their exposure levels.
The application functions by extracting internal measurements from the smartphone to calculate the radiation output. This technology targets the SAR value, which represents the amount of radiation absorbed by the body. Current FCC regulations set the SAR limit at 1.6 Watts per kilogram (W/kg), while European standards allow up to 2.0 W/kg. However, actual exposure fluctuates based on several variables, including signal strength, frequency band, and the device’s proximity to the user.
To validate the accuracy of the software-based approach, Tawkon’s technology was tested by Satimo USA, an FCC-certified RF laboratory. The testing compared Tawkon’s readings against laboratory-grade equipment. According to Satimo’s report, the average deviation was 4.13% for the 850 MHz GSM band, 4.85% for the 900 MHz GSM band, and 16% for the 900 MHz WCDMA band.
“This average deviation is well within the accepted standard deviation of ±30% (IEC62209, IEEE1528),” stated Amit Lubovsky, co-founder of Tawkon. “The results clearly confirm the effectiveness of Tawkon’s radiation detection and measurement.”
The application is currently available for Android and BlackBerry platforms. It monitors the device and issues a warning when radiation levels reach a peak, suggesting that the user switch to a Bluetooth headset or speakerphone to minimize exposure.
Looking toward future development, the company is working on expanding the application’s utility. “Tawkon is working on adding functionality to the Android app so that it can measure radiation levels when users are doing things other than just making a call,” stated Lubovsky. He also noted that “eventually, the company may expand to other operating systems as well, including Windows Phone.”
In addition to expanding platform support, the company is currently conducting beta tests for CDMA-compatible versions of the app to better serve the US market.
