Common mobile phone myths busted

Many of us often receive emails and SMSes outlining cellphone dos and don'ts. Have you ever tried to find out if any of these tips hold water in terms of scientific evidence and reasoning?

Here we explore the truth behind several common mobile phone myths that are doing the rounds of the Internet:

~ Myth: Mobile phone use at a petrol pump can cause an explosion.

~ Fact: None of the incidents you read about in forwarded emails have ever been verified as the truth. Moreover, the belief that a mobile phone can ignite petrol is simply unfounded -- the elctromagnetic field created by it and the current passed on by its batteries are both far too weak to cause gas to ignite. So why the warning at both gas stations and in cellphone manuals to cease and desist from using your phone while you tank up? Simply because it's better to be safe than sorry -- at the end of the day, the cellphone possesses flammable properties.

• Also read: A week without my cellphone

~ Myth: Charging your cellphone every day will reduce the life of the battery.

~ Fact: While this is true of older cellphone models, which use batteries like NiCd and NiMH, cellphones which use newer batteries like Li-Ion and Li-Ion Polymer can be charged every day without undermining performance or battery life.

~ Myth: You get a free phone on a contract/ combined offer when you subscribe to a particular telecom operator's services for a year or two.

~ Fact: No free lunches. Read carefully before you sign -- a cancellation of the network provider's services before the contract expires may lead to a hefty penalty fee.

~ Myth: Since I don't get network coverage from my service provider within my own home, the service provider is no good.

~ Fact: Mobile phones use radio technology. Just like your car radio, your mobile phone may have poor reception in some places. You should also check up on whether it's your handset that is causing the problem.

~ Myth: Mobile phones fry your brain.

~ Fact: While it is true that mobiles phones can produce a little heat, your head is more likely to warm up from walking in the sun.

~ Myth: Cellphone use can affect male fertility.

~ Fact: Calling all men who carry their mobiles in their pockets or in a holster on their belts: the good news is that you are still as capable as an Arabian stud! As of the present there is no hard evidence that cellphone use can affect male fertility.

• Mind your cellphone ettiquette

~ Myth: Mobile phone use can cause tumours on the side of the head and lead to cancer, particularly in children.

~ Fact: There isn't sufficient proof of this as yet, because mobile phones haven't been around for too long. However, a precautionary approach is recommended (reduced usage, availing of speakerphone or hands-free options, using the Bluetooth facility, opting for a low SAR phone) — especially for children. The most lethal risk of mobiles is using them while driving

~ Myth: When your cellphone battery gets completely drained and your phone switches off, you can punch in a code to dig into reserve battery power. Your phone will then restart and your battery power will be increased by 50 percent.

~ Fact: This is 100 percent false -- after a cellphone goes off from lack of battery power, there is simply no battery power left in reserve for it to start operating again. No code in the world can restore such a cellphone's activity -- you have to recharge the battery. If you have a hard time believing that, read your cellphone manual -- if it possessed any such feature, the manufacturers would undoubtedly mention it, especially to help customers cope with an emergency situation.