Beware of the CrossCall Core S5 smartphone

Beware of the CrossCall Core S5 smartphone
By : Phonegate Team • 6 June 2025

Phonegate Alert reveals a new exceedance detected by ANFR of the limit of the specific absorption rate (SAR) (4.33 W/kg instead of 4 W/kg) on the CrossCall Core S5, a smartphone mainly intended for professionals (police officers, firefighters). Despite a requirement to release a corrective software update, the Agency has still not published the non-compliance report in its DATA database, despite our repeated requests.

The Core S5 is already the 59th dangerous mobile phone to be flagged for non-compliance since we began reporting in 2018.

CrossCall targets professionals

French manufacturer CrossCall, which specializes in rugged smartphones for security, defense, healthcare, and construction, launched this new model, the Core S5, at the end of 2024. However, at the time of publication, there is no information on its website regarding SAR exceedances or updates.

Exposure to electromagnetic waves: a widely underestimated public health issue

The SAR measures the energy absorbed by the body when using a device. This latest incident highlights the urgent need to reduce user exposure, especially for professionals who are required to use such equipment on a daily basis for several hours at a time (security forces, healthcare workers, etc.). The health risks associated with electromagnetic waves, which are increasingly well documented, require strict compliance with standards by manufacturers and authorities.

CrossCall: A misleading response from the manufacturer

In response to this finding, CrossCall, at the request of ANFR, carried out a software update aimed at reducing the transmission power of its terminals, bringing the “limb” SAR down to 1.45 W/kg. However, this correction does not erase the seriousness of the initial exceedance, nor the issue of protecting users who have not performed the update. And as our real SAR calculator shows, the Core S5 has head and trunk SARs that exceed 7W/kg. Once again, we are faced with a clear regulatory failure!

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https://phonegatealert.org/en/beware-of-the-crosscall-core-s5-smartphone/