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Palm Treo Pro clears FCC

It was a big week at the Federal Communications Commission as both the HTC Dream and the Palm Treo Pro passed certification. Only the most passionate cell phone geeks know that the FCC holds a treasure trove of information on upcoming handsets. Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency's online database offers a lot of sneak peeks to those who dig. And to save you the trouble, Crave has combed through the database for you. Here are a selection of filings from the past … Read more

Nokia N96 clears FCC

It made it's debut at the GSMA World Congress earlier this year and now the Nokia N96 has passed through the gates of the Federal Communications Commission. Only the most passionate cell phone geeks know that the FCC holds a treasure trove of information on upcoming handsets. Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency's online database offers a lot of sneak peeks to those who dig. And to save you the trouble, Crave has combed through the database for you. Here are a … Read more

Nokia N85 clears FCC

The Federal Communications Commission this week approved a version of the Nokia N85 with support for U.S. 3G bands. Only the most passionate cell phone geeks know that the FCC holds a treasure trove of information on upcoming handsets. Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency's online database offers a lot of sneak peeks to those who dig. And to save you the trouble, Crave has combed through the database for you. Here are a selection of filings from the past week on … Read more

FCC gives nod to North American HTC Touch Diamond

If you're pining for a North American version of the HTC Touch Diamond you may not have to wait long. This week, the Federal Communications Commission approved such a device that uses the 1900MHz HSDPA band. We also spied the Sony Ericsson R306a, which promises an AM/FM radio. Only the most passionate cell phone geeks know that the FCC holds a treasure trove of information on upcoming handsets. Because the agency has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency's online database offers a lot of sneak … Read more

Dialed In 42: Hot topic: Cell phone radiation

Nicole Lee's back from vacation, just in time to discuss the possible dangers of cell phone radiation and what you can do to reduce exposure. Plus, lots of handset announcements to discuss this week, including the new T-Mobile Sidekick and Samsung Innov8, and more listener questions answered. Listen now: Download today's podcast Slick Motorola U9 on sale in U.S. http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10001900-1.htmlT-Mobile 'Gekko' officially reveals itself as T-Mobile Sidekick http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10000989-1.htmlSamsung unveils 8-megapixel camera phone http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9999207-1.htmlCasio G'zOne Boulder launched http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10002819-1.html… Read more

On Call: Which cell phone radiation level is correct?

Q: I'm thinking of buying the Samsung Soul and I'm concerned with its radiation level. But when I looked at the user manual there were multiple SARs listed. Is this typical and how do I know which listing is right? - Rich

A: It's not a matter of which listing is right since it is very common for a single handset to have multiple SARs. For both GSM and CDMA phones, the radiation level will vary by transmission band, the testing position (at ear vs. at body), and the testing body that reported the results. In CNET's radiation charts we always list the highest at-ear SAR as tested by the FCC. I know that's a lot of qualifications, but the distinctions are important to understand.

I'm glad you mentioned the Soul since that phone is a great example of just how results can vary. First off, the Soul uses three GSM bands (900, 1,800, and 1,900) so it's likely that you're seeing a different reported SAR for each band. As I said before, all of the listings are correct, but for your situation one SAR will be more correct than the others. Of the three GSM bands the Soul uses, only the 1,900 band is used in the United States, so I would concentrate on that listing. Also, you'll want to make sure that the results are from the FCC, which conducts tests specifically for the U.S. market. If the results are form another body, such as the European Union's testing agency or Industry Canada, then you could see a different result.… Read more

Motorola Ischia clears FCC

We're doing this list a bit early this week, but we spotted a few worthy phones to report. The new Motorola Ischia now has the official FCC nod along with the LG VX500 and LG AX500. Only the most passionate cell phone geeks know that the Federal Communications Commission holds a treasure trove of information on upcoming handsets.

Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency's online database offers a lot of sneak peeks to those who dig. And to save you the trouble, … Read more

Moto ZN200, Kyocera Katana Eclipse clear FCC

Whew! It's been a busy week at the Federal Communications Commission. We combed through more than 350 filings to bring you the cell phone gems. The Motorola ZN200 and Kyocera Katana Eclipse were on the list, as was the Palm Treo 800w, which Bonnie Cha reviewed this week. Only the most passionate cell phone geeks know that the FCC holds a treasure trove of information on upcoming handsets. Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency's online database offers many sneak peeks to those … Read more

Motorola ZN5 clears FCC

We've told you already about the Motorola ZN5, but today we learned that it has been cleared by the FCC. Only the most passionate cell phone geeks know that the Federal Communications Commission holds a treasure trove of information on upcoming handsets. Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency's online database offers a lot of sneak peeks to those who dig. And to save you the trouble, Crave has combed through the database for you. Here are a selection of filings from the … Read more