Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Apple iPhone 12: SAR comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S21 lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 0.74 W/kg vs 1.17 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 12 (37% 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 Samsung Galaxy S21 details Apple iPhone 12 details

Side-by-side SAR values

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Apple iPhone 12 reported SAR and specs
Measurement	Samsung Galaxy S21	Apple iPhone 12
Head SAR, cellular only (US)	0.74 W/kg	1.17 W/kg
Body SAR, cellular only (US)	1.08 W/kg	1.19 W/kg
Head SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.45 W/kg	1.38 W/kg
Body SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.54 W/kg	1.55 W/kg
Hotspot SAR, cellular only (US)	1.11 W/kg	1.19 W/kg
Hotspot SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.58 W/kg	1.55 W/kg
Head SAR (EU, 10 g)	0.46 W/kg	0.99 W/kg
Body SAR (EU, 10 g)	1.51 W/kg	0.99 W/kg
Display: Type	Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak)	Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, 625 nits (typ), 1200 nits (peak)
Display: Size	6.2 inches, 94.1 cm2 (~87.2% screen-to-body ratio)	6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio)
Display: Resolution	1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~421 ppi density)	1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)
Display: Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus	Scratch-resistant ceramic glass, oleophobic coating
Hardware: Operating System	Android 11, One UI 3.1	iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 14.2
Hardware: Chipset	Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China	Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm)
Hardware: CPU	Octa-core (1x2.9 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.80 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A55) - InternationalOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 680 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 680 & 4x1.80 GHz Kryo 680) - USA/China	Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm)
Hardware: GPU	Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China	Apple GPU (4-core graphics)
Battery: Type	Li-Ion 4000 mAh, non-removable	Li-Ion 2815 mAh, non-removable (10.78 Wh)
Battery: Battery Test	Endurance rating 93h	Endurance rating 84h
Battery: Charging	Fast charging 25W USB Power Delivery 3.0 Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging 15W Reverse wireless charging 4.5W	Fast charging 20W, 50% in 30 min (advertised) USB Power Delivery 2.0 Qi magnetic fast wireless charging 15W
Design: Type	Bar	Bar
Design: Dimensions	151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm (5.97 x 2.80 x 0.31 in)	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.29 in)
Design: Weight	169 g (Sub6), 171 g (mmWave) (5.96 oz)	164 g (5.78 oz)
Design: Colors	Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink	Black, White, Red, Green, Blue

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 Samsung Galaxy S21 or the Apple iPhone 12?

The Samsung Galaxy S21 lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 0.74 W/kg vs 1.17 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 12 (37% 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 Samsung Galaxy S21 or the Apple iPhone 12?

The Samsung Galaxy S21 lists the lower body sar, cellular only (us): 1.08 W/kg vs 1.19 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 12 (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 Samsung Galaxy S21 or the Apple iPhone 12?

The Apple iPhone 12 lists the lower hotspot sar, wi-fi + cellular (us): 1.55 W/kg vs 1.58 W/kg for the Samsung Galaxy S21 (2% 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 Samsung Galaxy S21's highest listed value is 1.58 W/kg and the Apple iPhone 12'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 A3LSMG991U and BCG-E3542A). Nothing on this page is estimated.

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