Apple iPhone 12 vs Apple iPhone 8: SAR comparison

The Apple iPhone 8 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.

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Side-by-side SAR values

Apple iPhone 12 vs Apple iPhone 8 reported SAR and specs
Measurement	Apple iPhone 12	Apple iPhone 8
Head SAR, cellular only (US)	1.17 W/kg	1.14 W/kg
Body SAR, cellular only (US)	1.19 W/kg	1.08 W/kg
Head SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.38 W/kg	1.51 W/kg
Body SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.55 W/kg	1.56 W/kg
Hotspot SAR, cellular only (US)	1.19 W/kg	1.08 W/kg
Hotspot SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.55 W/kg	1.56 W/kg
Head SAR (EU, 10 g)	0.99 W/kg	1.17 W/kg
Body SAR (EU, 10 g)	0.99 W/kg	n/a
Display: Type	Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, 625 nits (typ), 1200 nits (peak)	Retina IPS LCD, 625 nits (typ)
Display: Size	6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio)	4.7 inches, 60.9 cm2 (~65.4% screen-to-body ratio)
Display: Resolution	1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)	750 x 1334 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~326 ppi density)
Display: Protection	Scratch-resistant ceramic glass, oleophobic coating	Ion-strengthened glass
Hardware: Operating System	iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 14.2	iOS 11, up to iOS 16.3
Hardware: Chipset	Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm)	Apple A11 Bionic (10 nm)
Hardware: CPU	Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm)	Hexa-core (2x Monsoon + 4x Mistral)
Hardware: GPU	Apple GPU (4-core graphics)	Apple GPU (three-core graphics)
Battery: Type	Li-Ion 2815 mAh, non-removable (10.78 Wh)	Li-Ion 1821 mAh, non-removable (6.96 Wh)
Battery: Battery Test	Endurance rating 84h	Endurance rating 66h
Battery: Charging	Fast charging 20W, 50% in 30 min (advertised) USB Power Delivery 2.0 Qi magnetic fast wireless charging 15W	15W wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised) Wireless (Qi)
Design: Type	Bar	Bar
Design: Dimensions	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.29 in)	138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm (5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 in)
Design: Weight	164 g (5.78 oz)	148 g (5.22 oz)
Design: Colors	Black, White, Red, Green, Blue	Silver, Space Gray, Gold, Red

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 8?

The Apple iPhone 8 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 8?

The Apple iPhone 8 lists the lower body sar, cellular only (us): 1.08 W/kg vs 1.19 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 12 (9% 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 8?

The Apple iPhone 12 lists the lower hotspot sar, wi-fi + cellular (us): 1.55 W/kg vs 1.56 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 8 (1% 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 8's is 1.56 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-E3159A). Nothing on this page is estimated.

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