Apple iPhone 16 vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: SAR comparison

The Apple iPhone 16 lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 1.08 W/kg vs 1.26 W/kg for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (14% 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 16 details Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra details

Side-by-side SAR values

Apple iPhone 16 vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra reported SAR and specs
Measurement	Apple iPhone 16	Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Head SAR, cellular only (US)	1.08 W/kg	1.26 W/kg
Body SAR, cellular only (US)	1.17 W/kg	0.78 W/kg
Head SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.49 W/kg	1.59 W/kg
Body SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.54 W/kg	1.40 W/kg
Hotspot SAR, cellular only (US)	1.17 W/kg	1.19 W/kg
Hotspot SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.54 W/kg	1.48 W/kg
Display: Type	Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM)	Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak)
Display: Size	6.1 inches, 91.7 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio)	6.9 inches (full rectangle); 6.8 inches accounting for rounded corners
Display: Resolution	1179 x 2556 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)	1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~505 ppi density)
Display: Protection	Ceramic Shield glass (2024 gen)	Corning Gorilla Armor 2
Hardware: Operating System	iOS 18	Android 15, up to 7 major Android upgrades, One UI 7
Hardware: Chipset	Apple A18 (3 nm)	Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
Hardware: CPU	Hexa-core	Octa-core (2x4.19 GHz & 6x2.90 GHz)
Hardware: GPU	Apple GPU (5-core graphics)	Adreno 830 (1.25 GHz)
Battery: Type	Li-Ion, non-removable	Li-Ion 5000 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) 25W wireless (Qi2/PMA) 4.5W reverse wireless
Design: Type	Bar	Bar
Design: Dimensions	147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm (5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 in)	162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm (6.41 x 3.06 x 0.32 in)
Design: Weight	170 g (6.00 oz)	218 g
Design: Colors	Black, White, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine	Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Whitesilver, Titanium Gray; additional colors may vary by market

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 or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?

The Apple iPhone 16 lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 1.08 W/kg vs 1.26 W/kg for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (14% 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 or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra lists the lower body sar, cellular only (us): 0.78 W/kg vs 1.17 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 16 (33% 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 or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra?

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra lists the lower hotspot sar, wi-fi + cellular (us): 1.48 W/kg vs 1.54 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 16 (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.

What is the highest reported SAR value for each phone?

Across the six US measurements, the Apple iPhone 16's highest listed value is 1.54 W/kg and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra'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-E8688A and A3LSMS938B). Nothing on this page is estimated.

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