Google Pixel 8 vs Apple iPhone 15: SAR comparison
The Google Pixel 8 lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 1.05 W/kg vs 1.12 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 15 (6% 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 8 | Apple iPhone 15 |
|---|---|---|
| Head SAR, cellular only (US) | 1.05 W/kg | 1.12 W/kg |
| Body SAR, cellular only (US) | 0.99 W/kg | 1.09 W/kg |
| Head SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.59 W/kg | 1.50 W/kg |
| Body SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.59 W/kg | 1.44 W/kg |
| Hotspot SAR, cellular only (US) | 0.85 W/kg | 1.14 W/kg |
| Hotspot SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.59 W/kg | 1.49 W/kg |
| Display: Type | OLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1400 nits (HBM), 2000 nits (peak) | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 2000 nits (peak) |
| Display: Size | 6.2 inches, 91.1 cm2 (~85.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 91.3 cm2 (~86.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Display: Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~428 ppi density) | 1179 x 2556 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~461 ppi density) |
| Display: Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Hardware: Operating System | Android 14 | iOS 17, upgradable to iOS 17.5.1, planned upgrade to iOS 18 |
| Hardware: Chipset | Google Tensor G3 (4 nm) | Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm) |
| Hardware: CPU | Nona-core (1x3.0 GHz Cortex-X3 & 4x2.45 GHz Cortex-A715 & 4x2.15 GHz Cortex-A510) | Hexa-core (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth) |
| Hardware: GPU | Immortalis-G715s MC10 | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| Battery: Type | Li-Ion 4575 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3349 mAh, non-removable |
| Battery: Charging | 27W wired, PD3.0, PPS, 50% in 30 min (advertised) 18W wireless Reverse wireless | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update 4.5W reverse wired |
| Design: Type | Bar | Bar |
| Design: Dimensions | 150.5 x 70.8 x 8.9 mm (5.93 x 2.79 x 0.35 in) | 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm (5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 in) |
| Design: Weight | 187 g (6.60 oz) | 171 g (6.03 oz) |
| Design: Colors | Obsidian, Hazel, Rose, Mint | Black, Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink |
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 8 or the Apple iPhone 15?
The Google Pixel 8 lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 1.05 W/kg vs 1.12 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 15 (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 Google Pixel 8 or the Apple iPhone 15?
The Google Pixel 8 lists the lower body sar, cellular only (us): 0.99 W/kg vs 1.09 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 15 (9% 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 8 or the Apple iPhone 15?
The Apple iPhone 15 lists the lower hotspot sar, wi-fi + cellular (us): 1.49 W/kg vs 1.59 W/kg for the Google Pixel 8 (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.
What is the highest reported SAR value for each phone?
Across the six US measurements, the Google Pixel 8's highest listed value is 1.59 W/kg and the Apple iPhone 15's is 1.50 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 A4RGKWS6 and BCG-E8427A). Nothing on this page is estimated.
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