Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro: SAR comparison

The Apple iPhone 16 Pro lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 1.09 W/kg vs 1.19 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 17 Pro (8% 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 details Apple iPhone 16 Pro details

Side-by-side SAR values

Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro reported SAR and specs
Measurement	Apple iPhone 17 Pro	Apple iPhone 16 Pro
Head SAR, cellular only (US)	1.19 W/kg	1.09 W/kg
Body SAR, cellular only (US)	1.19 W/kg	1.19 W/kg
Head SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.59 W/kg	1.51 W/kg
Body SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.59 W/kg	1.58 W/kg
Hotspot SAR, cellular only (US)	1.19 W/kg	1.58 W/kg
Hotspot SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.59 W/kg	1.58 W/kg
Display: Type	LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 1600 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak)	LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM)
Display: Size	6.3 inches, 96.4 cm2 (~89.4% screen-to-body ratio)	6.3 inches, 96.4 cm2 (~90.1% screen-to-body ratio)
Display: Resolution	1206 x 2622 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)	1206 x 2622 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)
Display: Protection	Ceramic Shield 2, Mohs level 5	Ceramic Shield glass (2024 gen)
Hardware: Operating System	iOS 26	iOS 18
Hardware: Chipset	Apple A19 Pro (3 nm)	Apple A18 Pro (3 nm)
Hardware: CPU	Hexa-core (2x4.26 GHz + 4xX.X GHz)	Hexa-core
Hardware: GPU	Apple GPU (6-core graphics)	Apple GPU (6-core graphics)
Battery: Type	Li-Ion 3988 mAh - Nano SIM modelLi-Ion 4252 mAh - eSIM only model	Li-Ion, non-removable
Battery: Charging	Wired, PD3.2, AVS, 50% in 20 min 25W wireless MagSafe/Qi2, 50% in 30 min (15W - China) 4.5W reverse wired	Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised) 25W wireless (MagSafe), 15W wireless (China only) 15W wireless (Qi2) 4.5W reverse wired
Design: Type	Bar	Bar
Design: Dimensions	150 x 71.9 x 8.8 mm (5.91 x 2.83 x 0.35 in)	149.6 x 71.5 x 8.3 mm (5.89 x 2.81 x 0.33 in)
Design: Weight	206 g (7.27 oz)	199 g (7.02 oz)
Design: Colors	Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue	Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium

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 or the Apple iPhone 16 Pro?

The Apple iPhone 16 Pro lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 1.09 W/kg vs 1.19 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 17 Pro (8% 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 or the Apple iPhone 16 Pro?

Both list the same body sar, cellular only (us): 1.19 W/kg. 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 or the Apple iPhone 16 Pro?

The Apple iPhone 16 Pro lists the lower hotspot sar, wi-fi + cellular (us): 1.58 W/kg vs 1.59 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 17 Pro (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 17 Pro's highest listed value is 1.59 W/kg and the Apple iPhone 16 Pro's is 1.58 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-E8949A and BCG-E8666A). Nothing on this page is estimated.

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