Myth #1: Mobile phones cause cancer
Almost 30 years ago, according to Australian scientists' research, a link was found between brain cancer incidence and mobile phone use. This did significant damage to the image of these small devices. Despite this, over these three decades, the number of phone users has grown from 9% to 90% of the population, while the incidence of cancer has remained at a similar level. Therefore, we have no grounds to claim that phones – even held to the head – cause cancer.
Furthermore, it's important to remember that our smartphones emit non-ionizing radiation, which is significantly less harmful than ionizing radiation that causes particle decay. The latter includes X-rays, gamma rays, and ultraviolet radiation.
Myth #2: Male infertility
Another myth blaming smartphones claims they affect male fertility. However, the correlation between phone radiation and infertility is negligible. The only factor that might have any impact in this case is carrying the phone in a front trouser pocket – due to increased temperature, which is unfavorable. However, let's remember that a device on standby doesn't have a significant effect. Even if the phone were to turn on in your pocket for some reason, it would increase the temperature by at most fractions of a degree Celsius, and such a difference shouldn't affect fertility. Although studies have been conducted confirming this harmful thesis, a definitive assessment is difficult. It would be extremely challenging to separate all the factors that could cause infertility in the surveyed individuals: diet, lifestyle, smoking, or indeed, carrying the phone in a front trouser pocket.
Myth #3: Interference with medical equipment
Some time ago, mainly in the 1990s, we encountered hospital bans on using mobile phones near medical equipment. There were indications that radiation from our phones adversely affected the functioning of hospital equipment. However, an experiment was conducted that showed no connection between these devices. Over 5 months, 300 calls were made near 150 medical devices in a cardiovascular ward using phones from various providers. Not once did they interfere with the equipment's operation.
Myth #4: Interfering with aircraft operation
Many of us believe that a phone turned on during a flight is a recipe for an aviation disaster. In fear of tragedy, every time we board, we obediently switch off our devices or set them to airplane mode. Not all of us realize that this is a form of overzealousness on the part of airlines. For years, no connection has been detected between an active phone and interference with onboard equipment. However, it can be more detrimental to cellular operator transmitters – when your phone is on during a flight, it rapidly switches between transmitters it connects to, which can lead to temporary network failures. Therefore, we advise you, Vikings, to remain obedient to the requests of the flight attendants. 😉
Myth #5: Draining your phone to 0% extends battery life
Surely, we've all heard about avoiding frequent phone charging and that the best practice is to drain the device to zero and then charge it to 100 percent again. This is one of those widespread myths that have long been debunked. For the lithium-ion batteries produced today, the best way to maintain battery life is to keep it balanced between 40-80% charge. Contrary to popular opinion – frequent charging actually extends battery life!
Myth #6: It's most practical to charge your phone at night
This is essentially an extension of the previous point. Overnight, your phone charges to 100 percent, and the battery also overheats slightly, which isn't good for it. While nothing serious will happen to your smartphone, to ensure the battery functions for as long as possible, try not to charge it to full capacity.
Myth #7: More megapixels mean a better camera
Manufacturers are competing to boast about the megapixel count of their cameras. This has become our benchmark for choosing a phone for good photos. The truth is, the human eye cannot perceive the difference in megapixel count if it exceeds a dozen or so. While it's one of the parameters, we mustn't forget that the camera sensor size and the image processing software are equally important. The general rule should be: if your phone's camera has a dozen or so megapixels, pay attention to comparing it with others to see if it has a larger sensor and a good lens.
Myth #8: Closing apps speeds up your phone and extends battery life
Did you think so too? In reality, closing all background apps does more harm than good! RAM is designed to work with multiple applications running – by closing them, you're simply wasting its potential. Even if you were to overdo it with the number of apps, these are intelligent systems that will close seldom-used apps themselves. Constantly turning off apps doesn't benefit your battery either – apps running in the background are "frozen" and don't consume battery if you're not using them, whereas closing and re-opening them after a few minutes does. So, by doing this for your battery's sake, you're unfortunately exposing it to greater losses.
Myth #9: Automatic screen brightness extends battery life
We often set automatic screen brightness, justifying it by caring for our phone's battery life. It's undoubtedly a useful feature – it allows the brightness to adjust to the ambient light, but it doesn't benefit your battery. The brightness sensor is constantly active, which consumes battery. If you want to minimize energy consumption, it's better to manually set the screen brightness to a relatively low level (40-50%).
Myth #10: Only an original charger will provide the best quality charging for your phone
Finally, a myth many of us still believe. Especially original charger distributors. 😉 It's an undeniable fact that having an original phone charger is the safest and most reliable option. However, if you happen to lose or damage yours and need to buy a new one, you don't have to fear cheaper alternatives. The key is to choose a reputable manufacturer, and the technical specifications of the charger should match the original one.
Vikings! We hope that with this dose of knowledge, no one will fool you anymore. 🙂 We'd also love to know about other stereotypes you encounter regarding phones – let us know in the comments.
