Apple iPhone 15 Plus vs Apple iPhone 8 Plus: SAR comparison

The Apple iPhone 15 Plus lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 1.02 W/kg vs 1.09 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 8 Plus (6% 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 15 Plus details Apple iPhone 8 Plus details

Side-by-side SAR values

Apple iPhone 15 Plus vs Apple iPhone 8 Plus reported SAR and specs
Measurement	Apple iPhone 15 Plus	Apple iPhone 8 Plus
Head SAR, cellular only (US)	1.02 W/kg	1.09 W/kg
Body SAR, cellular only (US)	1.12 W/kg	1.09 W/kg
Head SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.49 W/kg	1.48 W/kg
Body SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.50 W/kg	1.59 W/kg
Hotspot SAR, cellular only (US)	1.12 W/kg	1.09 W/kg
Hotspot SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.50 W/kg	1.59 W/kg
Head SAR (EU, 10 g)	n/a	0.99 W/kg
Body SAR (EU, 10 g)	n/a	0.99 W/kg
Display: Type	Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 2000 nits (peak)	Retina IPS LCD, 625 nits (typ)
Display: Size	6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~88.0% screen-to-body ratio)	5.5 inches, 83.4 cm2 (~67.4% screen-to-body ratio)
Display: Resolution	1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)	1080 x 1920 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~401 ppi density)
Display: Protection	Ceramic Shield glass	Ion-strengthened glass
Hardware: Operating System	iOS 17, upgradable to iOS 17.5.1, planned upgrade to iOS 18	iOS 11, up to iOS 16.3
Hardware: Chipset	Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm)	Apple A11 Bionic (10 nm)
Hardware: CPU	Hexa-core (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth)	Hexa-core (2x Monsoon + 4x Mistral)
Hardware: GPU	Apple GPU (5-core graphics)	Apple GPU (three-core graphics)
Battery: Type	Li-Ion 4383 mAh, non-removable	Li-Ion 2691 mAh, non-removable (10.28 Wh)
Battery: Charging	Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update 4.5W reverse wired	15W wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised) Wireless (Qi)
Battery: Battery Test	—	Endurance rating 81h
Design: Type	Bar	Bar
Design: Dimensions	160.9 x 77.8 x 7.8 mm (6.33 x 3.06 x 0.31 in)	158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5 mm (6.24 x 3.07 x 0.30 in)
Design: Weight	201 g (7.09 oz)	202 g (7.13 oz)
Design: Colors	Black, Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink	Gold, Space Gray, Silver, 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 15 Plus or the Apple iPhone 8 Plus?

The Apple iPhone 15 Plus lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 1.02 W/kg vs 1.09 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 8 Plus (6% 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 15 Plus or the Apple iPhone 8 Plus?

The Apple iPhone 8 Plus lists the lower body sar, cellular only (us): 1.09 W/kg vs 1.12 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 15 Plus (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 hotspot SAR (Wi-Fi + cellular), the Apple iPhone 15 Plus or the Apple iPhone 8 Plus?

The Apple iPhone 15 Plus lists the lower hotspot sar, wi-fi + cellular (us): 1.50 W/kg vs 1.59 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 8 Plus (6% 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 15 Plus's highest listed value is 1.50 W/kg and the Apple iPhone 8 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-E8431A and BCG-E3160A). Nothing on this page is estimated.

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