Apple iPhone 14 PLUS vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus: SAR comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 0.65 W/kg vs 1.14 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 14 PLUS (43% lower). Reported SAR values in W/kg; lower is shaded green and higher red within each row, for comparison only.
Side-by-side SAR values
| Measurement | Apple iPhone 14 PLUS | Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Head SAR, cellular only (US) | 1.14 W/kg | 0.65 W/kg |
| Body SAR, cellular only (US) | 1.15 W/kg | 0.95 W/kg |
| Head SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.37 W/kg | 1.56 W/kg |
| Body SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.48 W/kg | 1.55 W/kg |
| Hotspot SAR, cellular only (US) | 1.15 W/kg | 1.04 W/kg |
| Hotspot SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.58 W/kg | 1.59 W/kg |
| Head SAR (EU, 10 g) | 0.99 W/kg | 0.54 W/kg |
| Body SAR (EU, 10 g) | 0.98 W/kg | 1.33 W/kg |
| Display: Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) |
| Display: Size | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 107.8 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Display: Resolution | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~394 ppi density) |
| Display: Protection | Scratch-resistant ceramic glass, oleophobic coating | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Hardware: Operating System | iOS 16, upgradable to iOS 16.0.2 | Android 11, One UI 3.1 |
| Hardware: Chipset | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) | Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China |
| Hardware: CPU | Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) | Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - InternationalOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 680 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 680 & 4x1.80 GHz Kryo 680) - USA/China |
| Hardware: GPU | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) | Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China |
| Battery: Type | Li-Ion 4323 mAh, non-removable (16.68 Wh) | Li-Ion 4800 mAh, non-removable |
| Battery: Charging | Fast charging, 50% in 30 min (advertised) USB Power Delivery 2.0 MagSafe fast wireless charging 15W Qi wireless charging 7.5W | Fast charging 25W USB Power Delivery 3.0 Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging 15W Reverse wireless charging 4.5W |
| Battery: Battery Test | — | Endurance rating 114h |
| Design: Type | Bar | Bar |
| Design: Dimensions | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.8 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.31 in) | 161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8 mm (6.36 x 2.98 x 0.31 in) |
| Design: Weight | 203 g (7.16 oz) | 200 g (Sub6), 202 g (mmWave) (7.05 oz) |
| Design: Colors | Midnight, Purple, Starlight, Blue, Red | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink, Phantom Gold, Phantom 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 14 PLUS or the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus?
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 0.65 W/kg vs 1.14 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 14 PLUS (43% 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 14 PLUS or the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus?
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus lists the lower body sar, cellular only (us): 0.95 W/kg vs 1.15 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 14 PLUS (17% 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 14 PLUS or the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus?
The Apple iPhone 14 PLUS lists the lower hotspot sar, wi-fi + cellular (us): 1.58 W/kg vs 1.59 W/kg for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus (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 14 PLUS's highest listed value is 1.58 W/kg and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus's is 1.59 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-E8139A and A3LSMG996U). Nothing on this page is estimated.
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