Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max: SAR comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 0.98 W/kg vs 1.15 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max (15% 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 | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Head SAR, cellular only (US) | 0.98 W/kg | 1.15 W/kg |
| Body SAR, cellular only (US) | 1.10 W/kg | 1.07 W/kg |
| Head SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.59 W/kg | 1.40 W/kg |
| Body SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.59 W/kg | 1.46 W/kg |
| Hotspot SAR, cellular only (US) | 1.20 W/kg | 1.03 W/kg |
| Hotspot SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.54 W/kg | 1.50 W/kg |
| Head SAR (EU, 10 g) | n/a | 0.99 W/kg |
| Body SAR (EU, 10 g) | n/a | 0.98 W/kg |
| Display: Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) |
| Display: Size | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 110.2 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Display: Resolution | 1440 x 3088 pixels (~500 ppi density) | 1290 x 2796 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Display: Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Hardware: Operating System | Android 13, One UI 5.1 | iOS 16, upgradable to iOS 16.3 |
| Hardware: Chipset | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) | Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm) |
| Hardware: CPU | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) | Hexa-core (2x3.46 GHz Everest + 4x2.02 GHz Sawtooth) |
| Hardware: GPU | Adreno 740 | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| Battery: Type | Li-Ion 5000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 4323 mAh, non-removable (16.68 Wh) |
| Battery: Battery Test | Endurance rating 126h | Endurance rating 121h |
| Battery: Charging | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (Qi/PMA) 4.5W reverse wireless | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised) 15W wireless (MagSafe) 7.5W wireless (Qi) |
| Design: Type | Bar | Bar |
| Design: Dimensions | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) | 160.7 x 77.6 x 7.9 mm (6.33 x 3.06 x 0.31 in) |
| Design: Weight | 234 g (8.25 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| Design: Colors | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition | Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple |
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 Ultra or the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max?
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 0.98 W/kg vs 1.15 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max (15% 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 Ultra or the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max?
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max lists the lower body sar, cellular only (us): 1.07 W/kg vs 1.10 W/kg for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (3% 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 Ultra or the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max?
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max lists the lower hotspot sar, wi-fi + cellular (us): 1.50 W/kg vs 1.54 W/kg for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (3% 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 Ultra's highest listed value is 1.59 W/kg and the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max'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 A3LSMS918B and BCG-E8141A). Nothing on this page is estimated.
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