Apple iPhone 12 vs Apple iPhone 11: SAR comparison

The Apple iPhone 11 lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 1.14 W/kg vs 1.17 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 12 (3% lower). Reported SAR values in W/kg; lower is shaded green and higher red within each row, for comparison only.

Open in interactive SAR Compare Apple iPhone 12 details Apple iPhone 11 details

Side-by-side SAR values

Apple iPhone 12 vs Apple iPhone 11 reported SAR and specs
Measurement	Apple iPhone 12	Apple iPhone 11
Head SAR, cellular only (US)	1.17 W/kg	1.14 W/kg
Body SAR, cellular only (US)	1.19 W/kg	1.14 W/kg
Head SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.38 W/kg	1.41 W/kg
Body SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.55 W/kg	1.52 W/kg
Hotspot SAR, cellular only (US)	1.19 W/kg	1.17 W/kg
Hotspot SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.55 W/kg	1.52 W/kg
Head SAR (EU, 10 g)	0.99 W/kg	n/a
Body SAR (EU, 10 g)	0.99 W/kg	n/a
Display: Type	Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, 625 nits (typ), 1200 nits (peak)	Liquid Retina IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Display: Size	6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio)	6.1 inches, 90.3 cm2 (~79.0% screen-to-body ratio)
Display: Resolution	1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)	828 x 1792 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~326 ppi density)
Display: Protection	Scratch-resistant ceramic glass, oleophobic coating	Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating
Hardware: Operating System	iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 14.2	iOS 13
Hardware: Chipset	Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm)	Apple A13 Bionic (7 nm+)
Hardware: CPU	Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm)	N/A
Hardware: GPU	Apple GPU (4-core graphics)	N/A
Battery: Type	Li-Ion 2815 mAh, non-removable (10.78 Wh)	—
Battery: Battery Test	Endurance rating 84h	—
Battery: Charging	Fast charging 20W, 50% in 30 min (advertised) USB Power Delivery 2.0 Qi magnetic fast wireless charging 15W	Fast battery charging 18W: 50% in 30 min USB Power Delivery 2.0 Qi wireless charging
Design: Type	Bar	Bar
Design: Dimensions	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.29 in)	150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm (5.94 x 2.98 x 0.33 in)
Design: Weight	164 g (5.78 oz)	194 g (6.84 oz)
Design: Colors	Black, White, Red, Green, Blue	Black, Green, Yellow, Purple, Red, White

Colors make differences within the same measurement easy to see. They do not label a phone safe or unsafe. US values use 1 g of tissue and the 1.6 W/kg limit; EU values use 10 g and 2 W/kg, so don't mix them. What SAR tells you.

Questions and answers

Which has lower head SAR, the Apple iPhone 12 or the Apple iPhone 11?

The Apple iPhone 11 lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 1.14 W/kg vs 1.17 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 12 (3% lower). Values are reported maximums from FCC filings as listed in the RF Safe dataset, in W/kg averaged over 1 gram of tissue.

Which has lower body SAR, the Apple iPhone 12 or the Apple iPhone 11?

The Apple iPhone 11 lists the lower body sar, cellular only (us): 1.14 W/kg vs 1.19 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 12 (4% lower). Values are reported maximums from FCC filings as listed in the RF Safe dataset, in W/kg averaged over 1 gram of tissue.

Which has lower hotspot SAR (Wi-Fi + cellular), the Apple iPhone 12 or the Apple iPhone 11?

The Apple iPhone 11 lists the lower hotspot sar, wi-fi + cellular (us): 1.52 W/kg vs 1.55 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 12 (2% lower). Values are reported maximums from FCC filings as listed in the RF Safe dataset, in W/kg averaged over 1 gram of tissue.

What is the highest reported SAR value for each phone?

Across the six US measurements, the Apple iPhone 12's highest listed value is 1.55 W/kg and the Apple iPhone 11's is 1.52 W/kg. The FCC limit for the head and body is 1.6 W/kg averaged over 1 gram. Wi-Fi + cellular values are simultaneous-transmission sums and are evaluated differently, so read each row on its own.

Does a lower SAR mean a phone is safer?

No. SAR is a lab compliance measurement taken at maximum power. Everyday exposure depends on signal strength, distance from the body and which radios are active. Use SAR to compare phones, not as a health score.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the RF Safe SAR dataset, compiled from FCC equipment authorization filings (FCC ID BCG-E3542A and BCG-E3309A). Nothing on this page is estimated.

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