Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus: SAR comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 0.65 W/kg vs 0.72 W/kg for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (10% 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 S23 Plus details Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus details

Side-by-side SAR values

Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus reported SAR and specs
Measurement	Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus	Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus
Head SAR, cellular only (US)	0.72 W/kg	0.65 W/kg
Body SAR, cellular only (US)	1.01 W/kg	0.95 W/kg
Head SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.59 W/kg	1.56 W/kg
Body SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.37 W/kg	1.55 W/kg
Hotspot SAR, cellular only (US)	1.13 W/kg	1.04 W/kg
Hotspot SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US)	1.28 W/kg	1.59 W/kg
Head SAR (EU, 10 g)	n/a	0.54 W/kg
Body SAR (EU, 10 g)	n/a	1.33 W/kg
Display: Type	Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak)	Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak)
Display: Size	6.6 inches, 105.3 cm2 (~87.6% screen-to-body ratio)	6.7 inches, 107.8 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio)
Display: Resolution	1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~393 ppi density)	1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~394 ppi density)
Display: Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Hardware: Operating System	Android 13, One UI 5.1	Android 11, One UI 3.1
Hardware: Chipset	Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)	Exynos 2100 (5 nm) - InternationalQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) - USA/China
Hardware: CPU	Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)	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
Hardware: GPU	Adreno 740	Mali-G78 MP14 - InternationalAdreno 660 - USA/China
Battery: Type	Li-Ion 4700 mAh, non-removable	Li-Ion 4800 mAh, non-removable
Battery: Battery Test	Endurance rating 111h	Endurance rating 114h
Battery: Charging	45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (Qi/PMA) 4.5W reverse wireless	Fast charging 25W USB Power Delivery 3.0 Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging 15W Reverse wireless charging 4.5W
Design: Type	Bar	Bar
Design: Dimensions	157.8 x 76.2 x 7.6 mm (6.21 x 3.00 x 0.30 in)	161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8 mm (6.36 x 2.98 x 0.31 in)
Design: Weight	196 g (6.91 oz)	200 g (Sub6), 202 g (mmWave) (7.05 oz)
Design: Colors	Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime	Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink, Phantom Gold, Phantom 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 Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus or the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus?

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 0.65 W/kg vs 0.72 W/kg for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (10% 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 S23 Plus or the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus?

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus lists the lower body sar, cellular only (us): 0.95 W/kg vs 1.01 W/kg for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (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 hotspot SAR (Wi-Fi + cellular), the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus or the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus?

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus lists the lower hotspot sar, wi-fi + cellular (us): 1.28 W/kg vs 1.59 W/kg for the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus (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.

What is the highest reported SAR value for each phone?

Across the six US measurements, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus's highest listed value is 1.59 W/kg and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus's is 1.59 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 A3LSMS916B and A3LSMG996U). Nothing on this page is estimated.

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