Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: SAR comparison
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 1.01 W/kg vs 1.26 W/kg for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (20% 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 S24 Ultra | Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Head SAR, cellular only (US) | 1.26 W/kg | 1.01 W/kg |
| Body SAR, cellular only (US) | 0.62 W/kg | 1.15 W/kg |
| Head SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.59 W/kg | 1.41 W/kg |
| Body SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.52 W/kg | 1.55 W/kg |
| Hotspot SAR, cellular only (US) | 1.26 W/kg | 1.15 W/kg |
| Hotspot SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.45 W/kg | 1.55 W/kg |
| Display: Type | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak) | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (typ), 2000 nits (HBM) |
| Display: Size | 6.8 inches, 113.5 cm2 (~88.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.9 inches, 115.6 cm2 (~91.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Display: Resolution | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~505 ppi density) | 1320 x 2868 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Display: Protection | Corning Gorilla Armor | Ceramic Shield glass (2024 gen) |
| Hardware: Operating System | Android 14, One UI 6.1.1 | iOS 18 |
| Hardware: Chipset | Qualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) | Apple A18 Pro (3 nm) |
| Hardware: CPU | 8-core (1x3.39GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.1GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.9GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.2GHz Cortex-A520) | Hexa-core (2x4.04 GHz + 4x2.X GHz) |
| Hardware: GPU | Adreno 750 (1 GHz) | Apple GPU (6-core graphics) |
| Battery: Type | Li-Ion 5000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion, non-removable |
| 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) 25W wireless (MagSafe), 15W wireless (China only) 15W wireless (Qi2) 4.5W reverse wired |
| Design: Type | Bar | Bar |
| Design: Dimensions | 162.3 x 79 x 8.6 mm (6.39 x 3.11 x 0.34 in) | 163 x 77.6 x 8.3 mm (6.42 x 3.06 x 0.33 in) |
| Design: Weight | 232 g or 233 g (8.18 oz) | 227 g (8.01 oz) |
| Design: Colors | Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Blue, Titanium Green, Titanium Orange | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium |
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 S24 Ultra or the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max?
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 1.01 W/kg vs 1.26 W/kg for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (20% 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 S24 Ultra or the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max?
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra lists the lower body sar, cellular only (us): 0.62 W/kg vs 1.15 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (46% 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 S24 Ultra or the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max?
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra lists the lower hotspot sar, wi-fi + cellular (us): 1.45 W/kg vs 1.55 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (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 Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's highest listed value is 1.59 W/kg and the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max'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 A3LSMS928U and BCG-E8684A). Nothing on this page is estimated.
More comparisons
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 5g
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Fe
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S24
- Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
- Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro
- Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 16
- Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 16 Plus