Google Pixel 9 vs Apple iPhone 15: SAR comparison

The Google Pixel 9 lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 0.87 W/kg vs 1.12 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 15 (22% lower). Reported SAR values in W/kg; lower is shaded green and higher red within each row, for comparison only.

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Side-by-side SAR values

Google Pixel 9 vs Apple iPhone 15 reported SAR and specs
Measurement	Google Pixel 9	Apple iPhone 15
Head SAR, cellular only (US)	0.87 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+, 1800 nits (HBM), 2700 nits (peak)	Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 2000 nits (peak)
Display: Size	6.3 inches, 94.7 cm2 (~86.1% screen-to-body ratio)	6.1 inches, 91.3 cm2 (~86.4% screen-to-body ratio)
Display: Resolution	1080 x 2424 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~422 ppi density)	1179 x 2556 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~461 ppi density)
Display: Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2	Ceramic Shield glass
Hardware: Operating System	Android 14, up to 7 major Android upgrades	iOS 17, upgradable to iOS 17.5.1, planned upgrade to iOS 18
Hardware: Chipset	Google Tensor G4 (4 nm)	Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm)
Hardware: CPU	Octa-core (1x3.1 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x2.6 GHz Cortex-A720 & 4x1.92 GHz Cortex-A520)	Hexa-core (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth)
Hardware: GPU	Mali-G715 MC7	Apple GPU (5-core graphics)
Battery: Type	Li-Ion 4700 mAh, non-removable	Li-Ion 3349 mAh, non-removable
Battery: Charging	27W wired, PD3.0, PPS, 55% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (w/ Pixel Stand) 12W wireless (w/ Qi compatible charger) 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	152.8 x 72 x 8.5 mm (6.02 x 2.83 x 0.33 in)	147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8 mm (5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 in)
Design: Weight	198 g (6.98 oz)	171 g (6.03 oz)
Design: Colors	Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen, Peony	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 9 or the Apple iPhone 15?

The Google Pixel 9 lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 0.87 W/kg vs 1.12 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 15 (22% 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 9 or the Apple iPhone 15?

The Google Pixel 9 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 9 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 9 (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 9'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 A4RGUR25 and BCG-E8427A). Nothing on this page is estimated.

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