LENEXA, Kan. -- Every day, a team of techies works to test the latest unreleased cell phone technology.
Their work is hidden inside an unassuming building in Lenexa, Kan., in a chamber called "SG-64".
"The whole technology behind the cell phone is very intense. It's amazing that it even works," explained Chris Hiesberger, Director of Midwest Operations for
SGS Wireless, the company doing the secret tests.
Locked inside a safe are brand new cell phones. SGS Wireless receives batches every year from all major companies.
Their mission: test the phones in five categories: applications, acoustics, accessories, real-world performance and antenna functions.
The antenna test is done inside a special SG-64 chamber.
Tha phones are locked inside a safe.
High-Tech Testing
"What's not to like? I love doing this," says Jason Bartosch.
Bartosch runs a five-cubic-meter contraption, lined with special foam, designed to examine the phones.
A cell phone is placed in the center of the device and probes, in essence, take an MRI of the phone's signal.
That is then converted into an image on a computer.
"I feel as if we're on the cutting edge. We can go into all kinds of areas," said Bartosch.
It might seem low-tech, but phones are sometimes strapped to mannequin heads for a more realistic test.
Technicians can also use a live person to test a phone's antenna.
One test in the special chamber takes about five minutes.
They're A Rare Breed
There are less than 10 labs like the SGS facility in the country.
SGS tests around 40 new cell phone models a year.
Everything from battery life, to speakers and microphones is analyzed.
"Often if you're in a conversation when you can't hear somebody, it might not be because of the network, but the acoustic property out of place," said Michael Brown of SGS.
Brown tests the phones' audio systems using fake networks and cell numbers.
To top it off, he just thinks his job is cool.
"I like to see the devices before they go on the market. You get a lot of really cool, smart phones way before the rest get to see them," said Brown.
Sometimes we never see them at all. A phone may be tweaked based upon the test results or scrapped altogether.
"I get to be part of the organizations that are on the cutting edge of new ways in which things can be done, and hopefully help customer experience. That's just exciting for me," explained Bartosch.
One cell phone goes through nearly two weeks of testing, and technicians often have to work around the clock to complete the work.
But, there's no rest for the weary. The future of cell phone technology is just a shipment away from entering SG-64.
