LG LGH812.ARGSLK Owner's manual

www.lg.com/ca

MFL69155402 (1.0)

ENGLISH

LG-H812

USER GUIDE

FRANÇAIS

User Guide

•

Somecontentsandillustrationsmaydifferfromyourdevicedependingonthe

region,serviceprovider,softwareversion,orOSversion,andaresubjectto

changewithoutpriornotice.

•

AlwaysusegenuineLGaccessories.Thesupplieditemsaredesignedonlyforthis

deviceandmaynotbecompatiblewithotherdevices.

•

Thisdeviceisnotsuitableforpeoplewhohaveavisualimpairmentduetothe

touchscreenkeyboard.

•

registeredtrademarksofLGGroupanditsrelatedentities.Allothertrademarks

arethepropertyoftheirrespectiveowners.

•

Google™,GoogleMaps™,Gmail™,YouTube™,Hangouts™andPlayStore™

aretrademarksofGoogle,Inc.

ENGLISH

2

Table of contents

For Your Safety..........................................4

Safety Guidelines ......................................9

Important notice .....................................29

Getting to know your phone ...................32

Phone layout .......................................... 32

Installing the microSIM card and battery..34

Charging the battery .............................. 36

Inserting a memory card ........................ 37

Removing the memory card ................... 38

Locking and unlocking the device ..........38

Your Home screen ................................... 40

Touch screen tips ..................................40

Home screen .........................................41

Customizing the Home screen ...............42

Returning to recently-used applications .43

Notiﬁcations panel .................................44

On-screen keyboard ..............................47

Special Features .....................................48

Gesture shot ..........................................48

Gesture View .........................................49

Glance View ........................................... 50

KnockON ...............................................50

Knock Code ...........................................51

Dual window..........................................52

Capture+ ............................................... 52

QSlide ....................................................54

QuickRemote .........................................55

Google account setup ............................. 56

Creating your Google account ................56

Signing into your Google account ........... 56

Connecting to Networks and Devices .... 58

Wi-Fi .....................................................58

Bluetooth ...............................................59

Wi-Fi Direct ...........................................60

Transferring data between a PC and the

device....................................................61

Calls ........................................................62

Making a call .........................................62

Calling your contacts .............................62

Answering and rejecting a call ...............62

Making a second call .............................63

Viewing your call logs ............................63

Call settings ........................................... 63

Contacts ..................................................64

Searching for a contact .......................... 64

Adding a new contact ............................64

Favourites contacts ................................64

Creating a group .................................... 65

Messaging ............................................... 66

Sending a message ...............................66

Conversation view .................................67

Changing your messaging settings ........67

Table of contents

3

Table of contents

E-mail ......................................................68

Managing email accounts ......................68

Working with account folders .................68

Composing and sending an email ..........69

Camera and Video ...................................70

Camera options on the viewﬁnder .......... 70

Using the advanced settings ..................71

Using the mode settings ........................72

Manual mode on the viewﬁnder .............72

Taking a photo .......................................73

Once you have taken a photo ................. 73

Recording a video ..................................74

After recording a video...........................75

Gallery ................................................... 76

Multimedia ..............................................80

Music ....................................................80

Utilities ....................................................82

Clock .....................................................82

Calculator ..............................................83

Calendar ................................................ 83

Voice Recorder ......................................84

Voice Search..........................................84

Downloads ............................................84

LG Health ..............................................85

Web Browser ...........................................86

Chrome .................................................86

Settings ...................................................87

Networks ...............................................87

Sound & notiﬁcation ..............................90

Display ..................................................91

General .................................................. 94

LG Bridge Application ........................... 100

Phone software update ........................102

About this user guide ...........................104

About this user guide ........................... 104

Trademarks .........................................105

DivX HD ...............................................105

Dolby Digital Plus ................................. 105

Accessories ........................................... 106

Troubleshooting ....................................107

FAQ ........................................................110

4

For Your Safety

Important Information

Thisuserguidecontainsimportantinformationontheuseandoperationofthisphone.

Pleasereadalltheinformationcarefullyforoptimalperformanceandtoprevent

anydamagetoormisuseofthephone.Anychangesormodificationsnotexpressly

approvedinthisuserguidecouldvoidyourwarrantyforthisequipment.

Before You Start

Safety Instructions

WARNING

To reduce the possibility of electric shock, do not expose your phone to high

humidity areas, such as the bathroom, swimming pool, etc.

Always store your phone away from heat. Neverstoreyourphoneinsettingsthat

mayexposeittotemperatureslessthan32°F(0°C)orgreaterthan104°F(40°C),such

asoutsideduringextremeweatherconditionsorinyourcaronahotday.Exposureto

excessivecoldorheatwillresultinmalfunction,damageand/orcatastrophicfailure.

Be careful when using your phone near other electronic devices.RFemissions

fromyourmobilephonemayaffectnearbyinadequatelyshieldedelectronicequipment.

Youshouldconsultwithmanufacturersofanypersonalmedicaldevicessuchas

pacemakersandhearingaidestodetermineiftheyaresusceptibletointerferencefrom

yourmobilephone.

Turnoffyourphoneinamedicalfacilityoratagasstation.Neverplaceyourphoneina

microwaveovenasthiswillcausethebatterytoexplode.

For Your Safety

5

For Your Safety

Safety Information

Readthesesimpleguidelines.Breakingtherulesmaybedangerousorillegal.Further

detailedinformationisgiveninthisuserguide.

•

Neveruseanunapprovedbatterysincethiscoulddamagethephoneand/or

batteryandcouldcausethebatterytoexplode.

•

Neverplaceyourphoneinamicrowaveovenasitwillcausethebatterytoexplode.

•

Yourphonecontainsaninternalbattery.Donotdisposeofyourbatterybyfireor

withhazardousorflammablematerials.

•

Makesurethatnosharpedgeditemscomeintocontactwiththebattery.Thereisa

riskofthiscausingafire.

•

Storethebatteryinaplaceoutofreachofchildren.

•

Becarefulthatchildrendonotswallowanypartssuchasrubberplugs(earphone,

connectionpartsofthephone,etc.).Thiscouldcauseasphyxiationorsuffocation.

•

Unplugthepowercordandchargerduringlightningstormstoavoidelectricshock

orfire.

•

Whenridinginacar,donotleaveyourphoneorsetupthehands-freekitnear

totheairbag.Ifwirelessequipmentisimproperlyinstalledandtheairbagis

activated,youmaybeseriouslyinjured.

•

Donotuseahand-heldphonewhiledriving.

•

Donotusethephoneinareaswhereitsuseisprohibited.(Forexample:aircraft).

•

Donotexposethebatterychargeroradaptertodirectsunlightoruseitinplaces

withhighhumidity,suchasabathroom.

•

Neverstoreyourphoneintemperatureslessthan-4°F(-20°C)orgreaterthan

122°F(50°C).

•

Donotuseharshchemicals(suchasalcohol,benzene,thinners,etc.)ordetergents

tocleanyourphone.Thereisariskofthiscausingafire.

•

Donotdrop,strike,orshakeyourphoneseverely.Suchactionsmayharmthe

internalcircuitboardsofthephone.

•

Donotuseyourphoneinhighexplosiveareasasthephonemaygeneratesparks.

•

Donotdamagethepowercordbybending,twisting,pulling,orheating.

6

For Your Safety

•

Donotusetheplugifitislooseasitmaycauseafireorelectricshock.

•

Donotplaceanyheavyitemsonthepowercord.Donotallowthepowercordto

becrimpedasitmaycausefireorelectricshock.

•

Donothandlethephonewithwethandswhileitisbeingcharged.Itmaycausean

electricshockorseriouslydamageyourphone.

•

Donotdisassemblethephone.

•

Donotplaceoranswercallswhilechargingthephoneasitmayshort-circuitthe

phoneand/orcauseelectricshockorfire.

•

Onlyusethebatteries,antennas,andchargersprovidedbyLG.Thewarrantywill

notbeappliedtoproductsprovidedbyothersuppliers.

•

Onlyauthorizedpersonnelshouldservicethephoneanditsaccessories.Faulty

installationorservicemayresultinaccidentsandconsequentlyinvalidatethe

warranty.

•

Donotholdorlettheantennacomeincontactwithyourbodyduringacall.

•

Anemergencycallcanbemadeonlywithinaservicearea.Foranemergencycall,

makesurethatyouarewithinaserviceareaandthatthephoneisturnedon.

•

Useaccessories,suchasearphonesandheadsets,withcaution.Ensurethat

cablesaretuckedawaysafelyanddonottouchtheantennaunnecessarily.

FCC RF Exposure Information

WARNING

Read this information before operating the phone.

InAugust1996,theFederalCommunicationsCommission(FCC)oftheUnitedStates,

withitsactioninReportandOrderFCC96-326,adoptedanupdatedsafetystandard

forhumanexposuretoradiofrequency(RF)electromagneticenergyemittedbyFCC

regulatedtransmitters.Thoseguidelinesareconsistentwiththesafetystandard

previouslysetbybothU.S.andinternationalstandardsbodies.

ThedesignofthisphonecomplieswiththeFCCguidelinesandtheseinternational

standards.

7

For Your Safety

CAUTION

Useonlythesuppliedandapprovedantenna.Useofunauthorizedantennasor

modificationscouldimpaircallquality,damagethephone,voidyourwarrantyand/or

resultinviolationofFCCregulations.Donotusethephonewithadamagedantenna.

Ifadamagedantennacomesintocontactwithskin,aminorburnmayresult.Contact

yourlocaldealerforareplacementantenna.

Body-worn Operation

Thisdevicewastestedfortypicalbody-wornoperationswiththebackofthephone

kept1cm(0.39inches)betweentheuser’sbodyandthebackofthephone.Tocomply

withFCC/ICRFexposurerequirements,aminimumseparationdistanceof1cm(0.39

inches)mustbemaintainedbetweentheuser’sbodyandthebackofthephone.

Anybelt-clips,holsters,andsimilaraccessoriescontainingmetalliccomponentsmay

notbeused.

Body-wornaccessoriesthatcannotmaintain1cm(0.39inches)separationdistance

betweentheuser’sbodyandthebackofthephone,andhavenotbeentestedfor

typicalbodywornoperationsmaynotcomplywithFCC/ICRFexposurelimitsandshould

beavoided.

FCC Part 15 Class B Compliance

Thisdevicecomplieswithpart15ofFCCrulesandIClicense-exemptRSSstandard(s).

Operationissubjecttothefollowingtwoconditions:

(1)thisdevicemaynotcauseinterference,and

(2)thisdevicemustacceptanyinterference,includinginterferencethatmaycause

undesiredoperationofthedevice.

8

For Your Safety

Cautions for Battery

•

Donotdisassemble.

•

Donotshort-circuit.

•

Donotexposetohightemperature:140°F(60°C).

•

Donotincinerate.

Battery Disposal

•

Pleasedisposeofyourbatteryproperlyorbringtoyourlocalwirelesscarrierfor

recycling.

•

Yourphonecontainsaninternalbattery.Donotdisposeofyourbatterybyfireor

withhazardousorflammablematerials.

Adapter (Charger) Cautions

•

Usingthewrongbatterychargercoulddamageyourphoneandvoidyourwarranty.

•

Theadapterorbatterychargerisintendedforindooruseonly.

Donotexposetheadapterorbatterychargertodirectsunlightoruseitinplaceswith

highhumidity,suchasthebathroom.

Avoid damage to your hearing

•

Damagetoyourhearingcanoccurifyouareexposedtoloudsoundsforlong

periodsoftime.Wethereforerecommendthatyoudonotturnonoroffthe

handsetclosetoyourear.Wealsorecommendthatmusicandcallvolumesareset

toareasonablelevel.

•

Ifyouarelisteningtomusicwhilstoutandabout,pleaseensurethatthevolume

isatareasonablelevelsothatyouareawareofyoursurroundings.Thisis

particularlyimperativewhenattemptingtocrossthestreet.

9

Safety Guidelines

TIA Safety Information

ProvidedhereinisthecompleteTIASafetyInformationforWirelessHandheldphones.

InclusionofthetextcoveringPacemakers,HearingAids,andOtherMedicalDevicesis

requiredintheowner’smanualforCTIACertification.UseoftheremainingTIAlanguage

isencouragedwhenappropriate.

Exposure to Radio Frequency Signal

Yourwirelesshandheldportabletelephoneisalowpowerradiotransmitterandreceiver.

WhenitisON,itreceivesandalsosendsoutradiofrequency(RF)signals.InAugust,

1996,theFederalCommunicationsCommissions(FCC)adoptedRFexposureguidelines

withsafetylevelsforhandheldwirelessphones.

ThoseguidelinesareconsistentwiththesafetystandardspreviouslysetbybothU.S.

andinternationalstandardsbodies:

ANSIC95.1(1992)*

NCRPReport86(1986)

ICNIRP(1996)

Thosestandardswerebasedoncomprehensiveandperiodicevaluationsoftherelevant

scientificliterature.Forexample,over120scientists,engineers,andphysiciansfrom

universities,governmenthealthagencies,andindustryreviewedtheavailablebodyof

researchtodeveloptheANSIStandard(C95.1).

*AmericanNationalStandardsInstitute;NationalCouncilonRadiationProtectionand

Measurements;InternationalCommissiononNon-IonizingRadiationProtection

ThedesignofyourphonecomplieswiththeFCCguidelines(andthosestandards).

10

Safety Guidelines

Antenna Care

Useonlythesuppliedoranapprovedreplacementantenna.Unauthorizedantennas,

modifications,orattachmentscoulddamagethephoneandmayviolateFCC

regulations.

Phone Operation

NORMALPOSITION:Holdthephoneasyouwouldanyothertelephonewiththeantenna

pointedupandoveryourshoulder.

Tips on Efficient Operation

Foryourphonetooperatemostefficiently:

•

Donottouchtheantennaunnecessarilywhenthephoneisinuse.Contactwiththe

antennaaffectscallqualityandmaycausethephonetooperateatahigherpower

levelthanotherwiseneeded.

Driving

Checkthelawsandregulationsontheuseofwirelessphonesintheareaswhereyou

drive.Alwaysobeythem.Also,ifusingyourphonewhiledriving,please:

•

Givefullattentiontodriving-drivingsafelyisyourfirstresponsibility;

•

Usehands-freeoperation,ifavailable;

•

Pullofftheroadandparkbeforemakingoransweringacallifdrivingconditions

sorequire.

Electronic Devices

MostmodernelectronicequipmentisshieldedfromRFsignals.

However,certainelectronicequipmentmaynotbeshieldedagainsttheRFsignalsfrom

yourwirelessphone.

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Safety Guidelines

Pacemakers

TheHealthIndustryManufacturersAssociationrecommendsthataminimumseparation

ofsix(6”)inchesbemaintainedbetweenahandheldwirelessphoneandapacemaker

toavoidpotentialinterferencewiththepacemaker.

Theserecommendationsareconsistentwiththeindependentresearchbyand

recommendationsofWirelessTechnologyResearch.Personswithpacemakers:

•

ShouldALWAYSkeepthephonemorethansixinchesfromtheirpacemakerwhen

thephoneisturnedON;

•

Shouldnotcarrythephoneinabreastpocket.

•

Shouldusetheearoppositethepacemakertominimizethepotentialfor

interference.

•

Ifyouhaveanyreasontosuspectthatinterferenceistakingplace,turnyourphone

OFFimmediately.

Hearing Aids

Somedigitalwirelessphonesmayinterferewithsomehearingaids.Intheeventofsuch

interference,youmaywanttoconsultyourserviceprovider.

Other Medical Devices

Ifyouuseanyotherpersonalmedicaldevice,consultthemanufacturerofyourdevice

todetermineiftheyareadequatelyshieldedfromexternalRFenergy.Yourphysician

maybeabletoassistyouinobtainingthisinformation.

Health Care Facilities

TurnyourphoneOFFinhealthcarefacilitieswhenanyregulationspostedinthese

areasinstructyoutodoso.Hospitalsorhealthcarefacilitiesmayuseequipmentthat

couldbesensitivetoexternalRFenergy.

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Safety Guidelines

Vehicles

RFsignalsmayaffectimproperlyinstalledorinadequatelyshieldedelectronicsystems

inmotorvehicles.Checkwiththemanufactureroritsrepresentativeregardingyour

vehicle.

Youshouldalsoconsultthemanufacturerofanyequipmentthathasbeenaddedto

yourvehicle.

Posted Facilities

TurnyourphoneOFFinanyfacilitywherepostednoticessorequire.

Aircraft

FCCregulationsprohibitusingyourphonewhileintheair.TurnyourphoneOFFbefore

boardinganaircraft.

Blasting Areas

Toavoidinterferingwithblastingoperations,turnyourphoneOFFwhenina‘blasting

areasorinareasposted:‘Turnofftwo-wayradio’.Obeyallsignsandinstructions.

Potentially Explosive Atmosphere

TurnyourphoneOFFwheninanyareawithapotentiallyexplosiveatmosphereand

obeyallsignsandinstructions.Sparksinsuchareascouldcauseanexplosionorfire

resultinginbodilyinjuryorevendeath.

Areaswithapotentiallyexplosiveatmosphereareoften,butnotalways,markedclearly.

Potentialareasmayinclude:fuelingareas(suchasgasolinestations);belowdeckon

boats;fuelorchemicaltransferorstoragefacilities;vehiclesusingliquefiedpetroleum

gas(suchaspropaneorbutane);areaswheretheaircontainschemicalsorparticles

(suchasgrain,dust,ormetalpowders);andanyotherareawhereyouwouldnormally

beadvisedtoturnoffyourvehicleengine.

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Safety Guidelines

For Vehicles Equipped with an Air Bag

Anairbaginflateswithgreatforce.DONOTplaceobjects,includingeitherinstalledor

portablewirelessequipment,intheareaovertheairbagorintheairbagdeployment

area.Ifin-vehiclewirelessequipmentisimproperlyinstalledandtheairbaginflates,

seriousinjurycouldresult.

Safety Information

Pleasereadandobservethefollowinginformationforsafeandproperuseofyour

phoneandtopreventdamage.Also,keeptheuserguideinanaccessibleplaceatall

timesafterreadingit.

Charger and Adapter Safety

•

Thechargerandadapterareintendedforindooruseonly.

Battery Information and Care

•

Pleasedisposeofyourbatteryproperlyortakeittoyourlocalwirelesscarrierfor

recycling.

•

Thebatterydoesnotneedtobefullydischargedbeforerecharging.

•

UseonlyLG-approvedchargersspecifictoyourphonemodelsincetheyare

designedtomaximizebatterylife.

•

Donotdisassembleorimpactthebatteryasitmaycauseelectricshock,short-

circuit,andfire.Storethebatteryinaplaceoutofreachofchildren.

•

Replacethebatterywhenitnolongerprovidesacceptableperformance.The

batterycanberechargedseveralhundredtimesbeforereplacement.

•

Rechargethebatteryafterlongperiodsofnon-usetomaximizebatterylife.

•

Batterylifewillvaryduetousagepatternsandenvironmentalconditions.

•

Useofextendedbacklighting,MediaNetBrowsing,anddataconnectivitykitsaffect

batterylifeandtalk/standbytimes.

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Safety Guidelines

•

Actualbatterylifewilldependonnetworkconfiguration,productsettings,usage

patterns,batteryandenvironmentalconditions.

•

Alwaysunplugthechargerfromthewallsocketafterthephoneisfullychargedto

saveunnecessarypowerconsumptionofthecharger.

Explosion, Shock, and Fire Hazards

•

Donotputyourphoneinaplacesubjecttoexcessivedustandkeeptheminimum

requireddistancebetweenthepowercordandheatsources.

•

Unplugthepowercordpriortocleaningyourphone,andcleanthepowerplugpin

whenitisdirty.

•

Whenusingthepowerplug,ensurethatitisfirmlyconnected.Ifitisnot,itmay

causeexcessiveheatorfire.

•

Ifyouputyourphoneinapocketorbagwithoutcoveringthereceptacleofthe

phone(powerplugpin),metallicarticles(suchasacoin,papercliporpen)may

shortcircuitthephone.Alwayscoverthereceptaclewhennotinuse.

•

Donotshort-circuitthebattery.Metallicarticlessuchasacoin,papercliporpenin

yourpocketorbagmayshort-circuitthe+and–terminalsofthebattery(metal

stripsonthebattery)uponmoving.Short-circuitingoftheterminalmaydamage

thebatteryandcauseanexplosion.

General Notice

•

Usingadamagedbatteryorplacingabatteryinyourmouthmaycauseserious

injury.

•

Donotplaceitemscontainingmagneticcomponentssuchasacreditcard,phone

card,bankbookorsubwayticketnearyourphone.Themagnetismofthephone

maydamagethedatastoredinthemagneticstrip.

•

Talkingonyourphoneforalongperiodoftimemayreducecallqualityduetoheat

generatedduringuse.

•

Whenthephoneisnotusedforalongperiodtime,storeitinasafeplacewiththe

powercordunplugged.

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Safety Guidelines

•

Usingthephoneinproximitytoreceivingequipment(i.e.,TVorradio)maycause

interferencetothephone.

•

Donotusethephoneiftheantennaisdamaged.Ifadamagedantennacontacts

skin,itmaycauseaslightburn.PleasecontactanLGAuthorizedServiceCentreto

replacethedamagedantenna.

•

Donotimmerseyourphoneinwater.Ifthishappens,turnitoffimmediatelyand

removethebattery.Ifthephonedoesnotwork,takeittoanLGAuthorizedService

Centre.

•

Donotpaintyourphone.

•

Thedatasavedinyourphonemightbedeletedduetocarelessuse,repairofthe

phone,orupgradeofthesoftware.Pleasebackupyourimportantphonenumbers.

(Ringtones,textmessages,voicemessages,pictures,andvideoscouldalsobe

deleted.)Themanufacturerisnotliablefordamageduetothelossofdata.

•

Whenyouusethephoneinpublicplaces,settheringtonetovibrationsoasnot

todisturbothers.

•

Donotturnyourphoneonoroffwhenputtingitnearyourear.

•

Yourphoneisanelectronicdevicethatgeneratesheatduringnormaloperation.

Extremelyprolonged,directskincontactintheabsenceofadequateventilation

mayresultindiscomfortorminorburns.Therefore,usecarewhenhandlingyour

phoneduringorimmediatelyafteroperation.

•

Donotattempttorepairormodifythedeviceyourself.Yourdeviceisequipped

withaninternalrechargeablebatterywhichshouldbereplacedonlybyLGoran

authorizedLGrepaircentre.Youshouldneverattempttoopenordisassemblethis

deviceyourselfanddoingsomaycausedamagethatwillvoidyourwarranty.

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Safety Guidelines

FDA Consumer Update

TheU.S.FoodandDrugAdministrationCentreforDevicesandRadiologicalHealth

ConsumerUpdateonMobilePhones.

1. Do wireless phones pose a health hazard?

Theavailablescientificevidencedoesnotshowthatanyhealthproblemsareassociated

withusingwirelessphones.Thereisnoproof,however,thatwirelessphonesare

absolutelysafe.Wirelessphonesemitlowlevelsofradiofrequencyenergy(RF)inthe

microwaverangewhilebeingused.TheyalsoemitverylowlevelsofRFwheninthe

standbymode.WhereashighlevelsofRFcanproducehealtheffects(byheatingtissue),

exposuretolowlevelRFthatdoesnotproduceheatingeffectscausesnoknown

adversehealtheffects.ManystudiesoflowlevelRFexposureshavenotfoundany

biologicaleffects.Somestudieshavesuggestedthatsomebiologicaleffectsmayoccur,

butsuchfindingshavenotbeenconfirmedbyadditionalresearch.Insomecases,other

researchershavehaddifficultyinreproducingthosestudies,orindeterminingthe

reasonsforinconsistentresults.

2. What is the FDA’s role concerning the safety of wireless phones?

Underthelaw,theFDAdoesnotreviewthesafetyofradiationemittingconsumer

productssuchaswirelessphonesbeforetheycanbesold,asitdoeswithnewdrugs

ormedicaldevices.However,theagencyhasauthoritytotakeactionifwirelessphones

areshowntoemitradiofrequencyenergy(RF)atalevelthatishazardoustotheuser.

Insuchacase,theFDAcouldrequirethemanufacturersofwirelessphonestonotify

usersofthehealthhazardandtorepair,replace,orrecallthephonessothatthehazard

nolongerexists.

AlthoughtheexistingscientificdatadonotjustifyFDAregulatoryactions,theFDAhas

urgedthewirelessphoneindustrytotakeanumberofsteps,includingthefollowing:

•

SupportneededresearchintopossiblebiologicaleffectsofRFofthetypeemitted

bywirelessphones;

•

DesignwirelessphonesinawaythatminimizesanyRFexposuretotheuserthat

isnotnecessaryfordevicefunction;and

•

Cooperateinprovidingofwirelessphoneswiththebestpossibleinformationon

possibleeffectsofwirelessphoneuseonhumanhealth.

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Safety Guidelines

TheFDAbelongstoaninteragencyworkinggroupofthefederalagenciesthathave

responsibilityfordifferentaspectsofRFsafetytoensurecoordinatedeffortsatthe

federallevel.Thefollowingagenciesbelongtothisworkinggroup:

•

NationalInstituteforOccupationalSafetyandHealth

•

EnvironmentalProtectionAgency

•

OccupationalSafetyandHealthAdministration(Administracióndelaseguridady

saludlaborales)

•

OccupationalSafetyandHealthAdministration

•

NationalTelecommunicationsandInformationAdministration

TheNationalInstitutesofHealthparticipatesinsomeinteragencyworkinggroup

activities,aswell.

TheFDAsharesregulatoryresponsibilitiesforwirelessphoneswiththeFederal

CommunicationsCommission(FCC).AllphonesthataresoldintheUnitedStatesmust

complywithFCCsafetyguidelinesthatlimitRFexposure.TheFCCreliesontheFDA

andotherhealthagenciesforsafetyquestionsaboutwirelessphones.

TheFCCalsoregulatesthebasestationsthatthewirelessphonenetworksrelyupon.

Whilethesebasestationsoperateathigherpowerthandothewirelessphones

themselves,theRFexposuresthatpeoplegetfromthesebasestationsaretypically

thousandsoftimeslowerthanthosetheycangetfromwirelessphones.Basestations

arethusnotthesubjectofthesafetyquestionsdiscussedinthisdocument.

3. What kinds of phones are the subject of this update?

Theterm‘wirelessphone’refersheretohandheldwirelessphoneswithbuiltin

antennas,oftencalled‘cell’,‘mobile’,or‘PCS’phones.Thesetypesofwirelessphones

canexposetheusertomeasurableradiofrequencyenergy(RF)becauseoftheshort

distancebetweenthephoneandtheuser’shead.TheseRFexposuresarelimitedby

FCCsafetyguidelinesthatweredevelopedwiththeadviceoftheFDAandotherfederal

healthandsafetyagencies.Whenthephoneislocatedatgreaterdistancesfromthe

user,theexposuretoRFisdrasticallylowerbecauseaperson’sRFexposuredecreases

rapidlywithincreasingdistancefromthesource.Theso-called‘cordlessphones,’which

haveabaseunitconnectedtothetelephonewiringinahouse,typicallyoperateatfar

lowerpowerlevels,andthusproduceRFexposuresfarbelowtheFCCsafetylimits.

18

Safety Guidelines

4. What are the results of the research done already?

Theresearchdonethusfarhasproducedconflictingresults,andmanystudieshave

sufferedfromflawsintheirresearchmethods.Animalexperimentsinvestigatingthe

effectsofradiofrequencyenergy(RF)exposurescharacteristicofwirelessphoneshave

yieldedconflictingresultsthatoftencannotberepeatedinotherlaboratories.Afew

animalstudies,however,havesuggestedthatlowlevelsofRFcouldacceleratethe

developmentofcancerinlaboratoryanimals.However,manyofthestudiesthatshowed

increasedtumordevelopmentusedanimalsthathadbeengeneticallyengineeredor

treatedwithcancercausingchemicalssoastobepredisposedtodevelopcancerin

theabsenceofRFexposure.OtherstudiesexposedtheanimalstoRFforupto22

hoursperday.Theseconditionsarenotsimilartotheconditionsunderwhichpeople

usewirelessphones,sowedon’tknowwithcertaintywhattheresultsofsuchstudies

meanforhumanhealth.Threelargeepidemiologystudieshavebeenpublishedsince

December2000.Betweenthem,thestudiesinvestigatedanypossibleassociation

betweentheuseofwirelessphonesandprimarybraincancer,glioma,meningioma,or

acousticneuroma,tumorsofthebrainorsalivarygland,leukemia,orothercancers.

Noneofthestudiesdemonstratedtheexistenceofanyharmfulhealtheffectsfrom

wirelessphoneRFexposures.

However,noneofthestudiescananswerquestionsaboutlongtermexposures,since

theaverageperiodofphoneuseinthesestudieswasaroundthreeyears.

5. What research is needed to decide whether RF exposure from wireless

phones poses a health risk?

Acombinationoflaboratorystudiesandepidemiologicalstudiesofpeopleactually

usingwirelessphoneswouldprovidesomeofthedatathatareneeded.Lifetimeanimal

exposurestudiescouldbecompletedinafewyears.However,verylargenumbersof

animalswouldbeneededtoprovidereliableproofofacancerpromotingeffectifone

exists.Epidemiologicalstudiescanprovidedatathatisdirectlyapplicabletohuman

populations,but10ormoreyearsfollow-upmaybeneededtoprovideanswersabout

somehealtheffects,suchascancer.

Thisisbecausetheintervalbetweenthetimeofexposuretoacancer-causingagent

andthetimetumorsdevelop-iftheydomaybemany,manyyears.Theinterpretation

ofepidemiologicalstudiesishamperedbydifficultiesinmeasuringactualRFexposure

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