SAR-reducing Pong iPhone case

One thing is for certain today when you talk about mobile phones: we are exposing ourselves to radiation. What isn’t certain, though, is how much radiation and how bad it is for us. For years companies have tried to convince us that we’re getting hit with too much radiation and as a result, a ton of them that try to capitalize on that fear.
The latest company to emerge that claims to reduce the amount of radiation we’re being exposed to while using our mobile phone is Pong Research. Pong Research’s first product is a case for the iPhone 3G (and 3GS), that according to the company, reduces the SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) level by 65.7 percent. That’s a pretty hefty claim, so we challenged the company to come up with the facts behind the claim.

Before I get into how the company reduces the SAR level, let’s talk about the case. The case itself currently comes in two colors–black and green–and is made of a “special silicone formula”. This special formula guarantees that your phone’s signal strength won’t be harmed by the case. In addition, the case features the Pong module, which is embedded in the silicon case and acts like a “chimney” and moves the radiation away from your head.
At first glance the Pong module looks like one of those antenna amplifiers that companies have been selling for years, which definitely makes you think this whole thing is a gimmick.
So, does the case really take down the SAR level? According to a test performed by Cetecom it does. For example, the maximum cell phone SAR level allowed by the FCC is 1.6 W/kg. The Pong test showed the iPhone 3GS having a SAR level of 1.36 W/kg, without the Pong case. When the Pong case was put on the iPhone 3GS and it was tested again, the SAR level went down to 0.467 W/kg. That represents a reduction of 65.7 percent in SAR level.

Since I can’t really test out the SAR level, I can only tell you that the iPhone 3GS seems to be performing just as well with the case on, so I have no complaints there. However, the case itself does have a couple of issues. First off, you’ll notice how huge the Pong logo is on the back? That’s acceptable if a product is $10, but not if it’s $60.

Second, it’s nearly impossible to flick the ringer on/off switch while the iPhone is in the Pong case. I already started cutting away some of the silicon to make it a bit easier to use.
Otherwise, it’s up to you if you think you’re helping your head by buying this case. Since the acceptable SAR is 1.6 W/kg by FCC standards, and without the case the iPhone 3GS is still below that, you’re not frying your brain as much as you could be… even if you don’t have a Pong case. However, if you want to try to reduce your SAR level further, take a closer look at the case with the chimney inside.