Apple iPhone 16 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus: SAR comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 0.72 W/kg vs 1.13 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 16 Plus (36% 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 16 Plus | Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Head SAR, cellular only (US) | 1.13 W/kg | 0.72 W/kg |
| Body SAR, cellular only (US) | 1.16 W/kg | 1.01 W/kg |
| Head SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.35 W/kg | 1.59 W/kg |
| Body SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.55 W/kg | 1.37 W/kg |
| Hotspot SAR, cellular only (US) | 1.16 W/kg | 1.13 W/kg |
| Hotspot SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.55 W/kg | 1.28 W/kg |
| Display: Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| Display: Size | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~88.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.6 inches, 105.3 cm2 (~87.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Display: Resolution | 1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~393 ppi density) |
| Display: Protection | Ceramic Shield glass (2024 gen) | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Hardware: Operating System | iOS 18 | Android 13, One UI 5.1 |
| Hardware: Chipset | Apple A18 (3 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| Hardware: CPU | Hexa-core | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Hardware: GPU | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) | Adreno 740 |
| Battery: Type | Li-Ion, non-removable | Li-Ion 4700 mAh, non-removable |
| Battery: Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised) 25W wireless (MagSafe), 15W wireless (China only) 15W wireless (Qi2) 4.5W reverse wired | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (Qi/PMA) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Battery: Battery Test | — | Endurance rating 111h |
| Design: Type | Bar | Bar |
| Design: Dimensions | 160.9 x 77.8 x 7.8 mm (6.33 x 3.06 x 0.31 in) | 157.8 x 76.2 x 7.6 mm (6.21 x 3.00 x 0.30 in) |
| Design: Weight | 199 g (7.02 oz) | 196 g (6.91 oz) |
| Design: Colors | Black, White, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime |
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 16 Plus or the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus?
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 0.72 W/kg vs 1.13 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 16 Plus (36% 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 16 Plus or the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus?
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus lists the lower body sar, cellular only (us): 1.01 W/kg vs 1.16 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 16 Plus (13% 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 16 Plus or the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus?
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus lists the lower hotspot sar, wi-fi + cellular (us): 1.28 W/kg vs 1.55 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 16 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.
What is the highest reported SAR value for each phone?
Across the six US measurements, the Apple iPhone 16 Plus's highest listed value is 1.55 W/kg and the Samsung Galaxy S23 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-E8692A and A3LSMS916B). Nothing on this page is estimated.
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