What is the SAR value of the Librem 5?

I am really interested in purchasing this phone (as are a few of my friends).
However, we have not been able to find any information on the SAR value, which is our #1 priority with a phone.
I looked into the past history of this topic and it was stated that the SAR value had not been released since the phone was still in development. Since the phone has been developed, that should now be known. I also was unable to find the FCC ID for the phone and look it up directly via the FCC’s database.
If anyone knows the answer to this question I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you.

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The phone has big issues that will require redesigns however. I don’t think this will be known information for a while.

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Most likely there’s no FCC ID yet.

SAR can only be given after finalized antennae placement.
It will probably also be depending on the actual modem used, as there are several to choose from.

I expect the SAR values to be rather good. Usually, the advice is to keep a phone about a centimeter away from the head. In the Librem 5 you get that distance built-in as it is thicker than most other phones.

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I would add that the SAR value can be adjusted by a software update.

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Now, that is a great way to justify the phone’s thickness :wink:

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The solution is tubes!
(there are cheaper brands out there, btw)

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With Kill switches an all?

Honestly, I guess I’m just customer loyal anyhow regardless of the phone I’m using. On my current samsung, the audio quality (not that I’m an audiophile or anything, just have old ears) is far superior to anything bluetooth or else. Anyhow, zero EMF radiation too :slight_smile:

we have touched on this subject i think somewhere else here in the Purism forums but the official recommendation is 1 INCH (aprox 2.5 cm away from body). but then again if you don’t use a wired headset your hands are already on the damn thing while it’s emitting/receiving.

important thing to remember is that SAR values are not set in stone while on the field and could vary depending on each individual use case.

but the really scary thing is not one individual SAR value; it is when many devices end up in the same area and are ALL doing their thing …

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I am a physician and work with multiple patients who have sensitivities to the phones.
Lower SAR values make a big impact, and my experience has been that when people try to divert from the topic or give generic advice (use a headset, keep the phone away from you head) it’s basically just a smokescreen to distract from the fact they fail in regards to the SAR value or protecting customer health.
I just would like to know the SAR value, the other information is extraneous. If the SAR value is not known yet I’ll check back again in a few months.

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What do you mean by sensitivities? Can you give us more details?

Well, this seems to be actually happening. Some people get physically sick and can’t sleep when they are exposed to much RF-radiation. I’m curious to hear what the experienced physician has to say.

From an engineering standpoint it’s quite interesting. Phones work in a frequency range of roughly 800 MHz to 2.8 Ghz. Wifi works at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.
Now a microwave-oven which you might use to cook your chicken uses a frequency of around 2.4 GHz. So while the microwave oven has to be shielded carefully to meet safety standards, its perfectly normal to surround oneself with a
myriad of devices using the exact same physics.
The background is an effect called “debye-relaxation”: chemical dipols - molecules that are asymetrical in structure and express an asymetrical electron displacement resulting in two electric poles - align themselves in an electric field and fall back to a more random alignment when the field is absent again. This is essentially movement and movement causes friction and friction causes heat. The most common dipol in a human body is water, but acids are often dipols as well.

It’s a pretty complicated topic because of the skin effect: electromagnetic waves can only travel on a thin layer (“skin”) of a good electric conductor - and the thickness deviates rapidly with rising frequencies (and rising conductivity). But the human body isn’t a good conductor - at least not all of it. Nerves and Arteries should be a pretty decent conductor.

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Well, I personally get a feeling after 5 Minutes talking, which is something a little similar like being long in the sun. I don’t have this while using my BT Headset.
Since I’m physics teacher, I once asked studends age 16 if they experience something similar, actually 50% answered with yes, then next question was, if they would take any measures against it, like Headset, Loudspeaker, or if they would use their phone a little less often – the answer was “nope”…

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Yes! And then when you make an XRay you’re covered by pounds of lead shieldings and doctors are even running away into lead chamber. But it was perfectly well to watch cathode ray tube television for generations which is using the same physics! And then there are those chem-trails…

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Although to be fair the microwave oven is putting out 600W+ in the 2.4 GHz spectrum whereas your WiFi is putting out 100mW - so 6000+ times more power from the microwave oven. Without the shielding the microwave oven wouldn’t work as well as it does, would be hazardous and would create serious interference for WiFi and BT.

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oh yes, no doubt. I just wanted to give a technical background for what the electromagnetic fields do.

To be honest, until quite recently I thought that all those “sensitivity” and all those health concerns are bullshit, due to the minuscle doses. But there seems to be an actual valid reason for some level of concern.

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That right there! Power vs intensity

I had a girlfriend back in the 90’s, she would not allow me to install wifi at our house. I suspect some people may be sensitive to RF waves, but as this topic won’t die and is in resurgence due to 5g I often wonder… Is this like the glutton effect. Some people are glutton intolerant, but a lot more reported that they are.

I wonder if house prices in Green Bank, West Virginia will rise? Would a Faraday cage help? Upon doing recent research on the matter, I am still of the opinion that if it has an adverse affect on biology, that it is very limited. Maybe some people are more sensitive than others but how much do you want to bet that more people will complain about it then are actually affected by it. Just look at the symptoms that are being listed, most of those can be chalked up to life in the modern world (stressful), not enough time outdoors and spending too much time in front of monitors. I recommend walks in the woods, looking away from screens/focusing on a distant object regularly and daily meditation before clearing out all of your electronics and/or moving to Green Bank.

But then again, what do I know. Ask the physicists and physicians in the group.

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It’s a real thing treated by real doctors. If you know anyone afflicted, there is help :slight_smile:

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do you mean to say gluten ?

or do you mean that there is an ACTUAL allergy triggered around glutton people ? :wink:

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Drat my spelling! Thanks for the corrections, I’ll leave my post as original - for comedic effect.

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