Apple iPhone 7 vs Apple iPhone 5: SAR comparison
The Apple iPhone 5 lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 1.06 W/kg vs 1.10 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 7 (4% 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 7 | Apple iPhone 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Head SAR, cellular only (US) | 1.10 W/kg | 1.06 W/kg |
| Body SAR, cellular only (US) | 1.14 W/kg | 1.18 W/kg |
| Head SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.49 W/kg | 1.53 W/kg |
| Body SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.56 W/kg | 1.55 W/kg |
| Hotspot SAR, cellular only (US) | n/a | 0.98 W/kg |
| Hotspot SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.16 W/kg | 1.13 W/kg |
| Display: Type | Retina IPS LCD, 625 nits (typ) | IPS LCD |
| Display: Size | 4.7 inches, 60.9 cm2 (~65.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 4.0 inches, 44.1 cm2 (~60.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Display: Resolution | 750 x 1334 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~326 ppi density) | 640 x 1136 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~326 ppi density) |
| Display: Protection | Ion-strengthened glass | Corning Gorilla Glass, oleophobic coating |
| Hardware: Operating System | iOS 10.0.1, upgradable to iOS 15.7 | iOS 6, upgradable to iOS 10.3.4 |
| Hardware: Chipset | Apple A10 Fusion (16 nm) | Apple A6 (32 nm) |
| Hardware: CPU | Quad-core 2.34 GHz (2x Hurricane + 2x Zephyr) | Dual-core 1.3 GHz Swift (ARM v7-based) |
| Hardware: GPU | PowerVR Series7XT Plus (six-core graphics) | PowerVR SGX 543MP3 (triple-core graphics) |
| Battery: Type | Li-Ion 1960 mAh, non-removable (7.45 Wh) | Li-Po 1440 mAh, non-removable (5.45 Wh) |
| Battery: Battery Test | Endurance rating 61h | Endurance rating 51h |
| Design: Type | Bar | Bar |
| Design: Dimensions | 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.28 in) | 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm (4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 in) |
| Design: Weight | 138 g (4.87 oz) | 112 g (3.95 oz) |
| Design: Colors | Jet Black, Black, Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, Red | Black/Slate, White/Silver |
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 7 or the Apple iPhone 5?
The Apple iPhone 5 lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 1.06 W/kg vs 1.10 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 7 (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.
Which has lower body SAR, the Apple iPhone 7 or the Apple iPhone 5?
The Apple iPhone 7 lists the lower body sar, cellular only (us): 1.14 W/kg vs 1.18 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 5 (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 7 or the Apple iPhone 5?
The Apple iPhone 5 lists the lower hotspot sar, wi-fi + cellular (us): 1.13 W/kg vs 1.16 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 7 (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.
What is the highest reported SAR value for each phone?
Across the six US measurements, the Apple iPhone 7's highest listed value is 1.56 W/kg and the Apple iPhone 5's is 1.55 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-E3085A and BCG-E2599A). Nothing on this page is estimated.