Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S25: SAR comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S25 lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 1.12 W/kg vs 1.19 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max (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 17 Pro Max details Samsung Galaxy S25 details

Side-by-side SAR values

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S25 reported SAR and specs
Measurement	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy S25
Head SAR, cellular only (US)	1.19 W/kg	1.12 W/kg
Body SAR, cellular only (US)	1.19 W/kg	0.73 W/kg
Head SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.58 W/kg	1.35 W/kg
Body SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.59 W/kg	1.39 W/kg
Hotspot SAR, cellular only (US)	1.19 W/kg	1.14 W/kg
Hotspot SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.59 W/kg	1.39 W/kg
Display: Type	LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 1600 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak)	Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak)
Display: Size	6.9 inches, 115.6 cm2 (~90.7% screen-to-body ratio)	6.2 inches, 94.4 cm2 (~91.1% screen-to-body ratio)
Display: Resolution	1320 x 2868 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)	1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~416 ppi density)
Display: Protection	Ceramic Shield 2, Mohs level 5	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Hardware: Operating System	iOS 26	Android 15, up to 7 major Android upgrades, One UI 7
Hardware: Chipset	Apple A19 Pro (3 nm)	Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm)
Hardware: CPU	Hexa-core (2x4.26 GHz + 4xX.X GHz)	Octa-core (2x4.47 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6x3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M)
Hardware: GPU	Apple GPU (6-core graphics)	Adreno 830
Battery: Type	Li-Ion 4832 mAh - Nano SIM modelLi-Ion 5088 mAh - eSIM only model	Li-Ion 4000 mAh
Battery: Charging	Wired, PD3.2, AVS, 50% in 20 min 25W wireless MagSafe/Qi2, 50% in 30 min (15W - China) 4.5W reverse wired	25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready) 4.5W reverse wireless
Design: Type	Bar	Bar
Design: Dimensions	163.4 x 78 x 8.8 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in)	146.9 x 70.5 x 7.2 mm (5.78 x 2.78 x 0.28 in)
Design: Weight	233 g (8.22 oz)	162 g (5.71 oz)
Design: Colors	Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue	Icy Blue, Mint, Navy, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold, Coral Red, Blue Black

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 17 Pro Max or the Samsung Galaxy S25?

The Samsung Galaxy S25 lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 1.12 W/kg vs 1.19 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max (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 17 Pro Max or the Samsung Galaxy S25?

The Samsung Galaxy S25 lists the lower body sar, cellular only (us): 0.73 W/kg vs 1.19 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max (39% 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 17 Pro Max or the Samsung Galaxy S25?

The Samsung Galaxy S25 lists the lower hotspot sar, wi-fi + cellular (us): 1.39 W/kg vs 1.59 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max (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.

What is the highest reported SAR value for each phone?

Across the six US measurements, the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max's highest listed value is 1.59 W/kg and the Samsung Galaxy S25's is 1.39 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-E8950A and A3LSMS931B). Nothing on this page is estimated.

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