Google Pixel 2 vs Apple iPhone 8: SAR comparison
The Google Pixel 2 lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 0.92 W/kg vs 1.14 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 8 (19% 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 | Google Pixel 2 | Apple iPhone 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Head SAR, cellular only (US) | 0.92 W/kg | 1.14 W/kg |
| Body SAR, cellular only (US) | 0.74 W/kg | 1.08 W/kg |
| Head SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.00 W/kg | 1.51 W/kg |
| Body SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.04 W/kg | 1.56 W/kg |
| Hotspot SAR, cellular only (US) | 1.14 W/kg | 1.08 W/kg |
| Hotspot SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.14 W/kg | 1.56 W/kg |
| Head SAR (EU, 10 g) | n/a | 1.17 W/kg |
| Display: Type | AMOLED | Retina IPS LCD, 625 nits (typ) |
| Display: Size | 5.0 inches, 68.9 cm2 (~67.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 4.7 inches, 60.9 cm2 (~65.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Display: Resolution | 1080 x 1920 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~441 ppi density) | 750 x 1334 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~326 ppi density) |
| Display: Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Ion-strengthened glass |
| Hardware: Operating System | Android 8.0 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 11 | iOS 11, up to iOS 16.3 |
| Hardware: Chipset | Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 (10 nm) | Apple A11 Bionic (10 nm) |
| Hardware: CPU | Octa-core (4x2.35 GHz Kryo & 4x1.9 GHz Kryo) | Hexa-core (2x Monsoon + 4x Mistral) |
| Hardware: GPU | Adreno 540 | Apple GPU (three-core graphics) |
| Battery: Type | Li-Ion 2700 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 1821 mAh, non-removable (6.96 Wh) |
| Battery: Battery Test | Endurance rating 75h | Endurance rating 66h |
| Battery: Charging | 10.5W wired (capped), PD2.0 | 15W wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised) Wireless (Qi) |
| Design: Type | Bar | Bar |
| Design: Dimensions | 145.7 x 69.7 x 7.8 mm (5.74 x 2.74 x 0.31 in) | 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm (5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 in) |
| Design: Weight | 143 g (5.04 oz) | 148 g (5.22 oz) |
| Design: Colors | Kinda Blue, Just Black, Clearly White | Silver, Space Gray, Gold, Red |
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 Google Pixel 2 or the Apple iPhone 8?
The Google Pixel 2 lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 0.92 W/kg vs 1.14 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 8 (19% 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 Google Pixel 2 or the Apple iPhone 8?
The Google Pixel 2 lists the lower body sar, cellular only (us): 0.74 W/kg vs 1.08 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 8 (31% 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 Google Pixel 2 or the Apple iPhone 8?
The Google Pixel 2 lists the lower hotspot sar, wi-fi + cellular (us): 1.14 W/kg vs 1.56 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 8 (27% 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 Google Pixel 2's highest listed value is 1.14 W/kg and the Apple iPhone 8's is 1.56 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 NM8G011A and BCG-E3159A). Nothing on this page is estimated.
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