FCC Clears iPhone 7, X, and XS Over Radiation Concerns

Last updated: October 13, 2026

The FCC has wrapped up its own laboratory testing of several smartphones, including the iPhone 7, iPhone X, and iPhone XS, and concluded that none of them exceeded U.S. Radio-frequency exposure limits. The results contradict earlier findings reported by the Chicago Tribune, according to iphonehacks.com.

The dispute began when the Tribune's independent lab said the iPhone 7 emitted roughly double the radiation Apple claimed, prompting the FCC to launch its own review. Apple had already disputed the Tribune's methodology, arguing the testing setup did not match its own compliance procedures.

At a glance

• The FCC tested the iPhone 7, iPhone X, and iPhone XS in its own labs
• None of the three iPhones exceeded the FCC's RF exposure limit, per iphonehacks.com
• Apple provided test units; the FCC also purchased additional units from retail
• Other devices tested included the Galaxy S9, Galaxy J3, Moto G6 Play, Moto E5 Play, and BLU Vivo 5 mini
• All of those also passed the FCC's threshold

How we got here

Smartphone RF testing in the U.S. Follows rules set decades ago. The Tribune's report pointed out that the existing standards were drafted in the 1990s, when belt-clip carry was common, and permit testing distances of up to 25 millimeters from a phantom body. At a closer 2-millimeter distance, the Tribune's repeat run showed several phones exceeding limits.

Apple's response was that the Tribune's setup did not properly activate the proximity sensor, which reduces output power when the phone is close to skin. Both the company and the FCC stand by the regulatory procedure, and the FCC's own figures line up with Apple's claim of compliance.

Our analysis

For our readers, the practical question is simple: should you keep your iPhone 7 in your pocket? Based on the FCC's published numbers, yes. Federal regulators retested at the regulatory distance and got compliant results. The Tribune's closer-distance figures are worth noting, but they sit outside the official test setup.

The bigger story may be the test methodology itself. Standards written in the 1990s assume body contact distances that nobody actually uses today. A modern consumer holds a phone against the ear or carries it in a pocket pressed against fabric. Until the FCC revises those rules, the headline numbers will keep appearing conservative.

Worked example

Say you keep an iPhone 7 as a backup device and have been wary since the original Tribune story. The FCC's retest answers the narrow compliance question: at the regulatory distance, your phone is within limits. If you want belt-clip carry to be officially fine, the underlying standard is what needs an update, not the handset.

What to watch next

Watch for any FCC move to update its 1990s-era test distances and for further public detail on the full FCC report. If revised procedures land, expect the iPhone 7 and other legacy models to be retested under the new conditions.

Key takeaways

• The FCC's own tests clear the iPhone 7, iPhone X, and iPhone XS, per iphonehacks.com
• Apple's provided compliance data and the FCC's purchased-unit results agree
• The open question is whether U.S. RF testing rules need a refresh for modern carry habits
• Older iPhones remain FCC-certified at the regulatory test distance