Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus vs Apple iPhone 8 Plus: SAR comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 0.41 W/kg vs 1.09 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 8 Plus (62% 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 S8 Plus | Apple iPhone 8 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Head SAR, cellular only (US) | 0.41 W/kg | 1.09 W/kg |
| Body SAR, cellular only (US) | 0.97 W/kg | 1.09 W/kg |
| Head SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.52 W/kg | 1.48 W/kg |
| Body SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.21 W/kg | 1.59 W/kg |
| Hotspot SAR, cellular only (US) | n/a | 1.09 W/kg |
| Hotspot SAR, Wi-Fi + cellular (US) | 1.10 W/kg | 1.59 W/kg |
| Head SAR (EU, 10 g) | 0.27 W/kg | 0.99 W/kg |
| Body SAR (EU, 10 g) | 1.00 W/kg | 0.99 W/kg |
| Display: Type | Super AMOLED | Retina IPS LCD, 625 nits (typ) |
| Display: Size | 6.2 inches, 98.3 cm2 (~84.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.5 inches, 83.4 cm2 (~67.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Display: Resolution | 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~529 ppi density) | 1080 x 1920 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~401 ppi density) |
| Display: Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Ion-strengthened glass |
| Hardware: Operating System | Android 7.0 (Nougat), upgradable to Android 9.0 (Pie), One UI | iOS 11, up to iOS 16.3 |
| Hardware: Chipset | Exynos 8895 (10 nm) - EMEAQualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 (10 nm) - USA & China | Apple A11 Bionic (10 nm) |
| Hardware: CPU | Octa-core (4x2.3 GHz Mongoose M2 & 4x1.7 GHz Cortex-A53) - EMEAOcta-core (4x2.35 GHz Kryo & 4x1.9 GHz Kryo) - USA & China | Hexa-core (2x Monsoon + 4x Mistral) |
| Hardware: GPU | Mali-G71 MP20 - EMEAAdreno 540 - USA & China | Apple GPU (three-core graphics) |
| Battery: Type | Li-Ion 3500 mAh, non-removable (13.48 Wh) | Li-Ion 2691 mAh, non-removable (10.28 Wh) |
| Battery: Battery Test | Endurance rating 88h | Endurance rating 81h |
| Battery: Charging | 15W wired, QC2 Wireless (Qi/PMA) (market dependent) | 15W wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min (advertised) Wireless (Qi) |
| Design: Type | Bar | Bar |
| Design: Dimensions | 159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1 mm (6.28 x 2.89 x 0.32 in) | 158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5 mm (6.24 x 3.07 x 0.30 in) |
| Design: Weight | 173 g (6.10 oz) | 202 g (7.13 oz) |
| Design: Colors | Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver, Coral Blue, Maple Gold, Rose Pink | Gold, Space Gray, Silver, 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 S8 Plus or the Apple iPhone 8 Plus?
The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus lists the lower head sar, cellular only (us): 0.41 W/kg vs 1.09 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 8 Plus (62% 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 S8 Plus or the Apple iPhone 8 Plus?
The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus lists the lower body sar, cellular only (us): 0.97 W/kg vs 1.09 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 8 Plus (11% 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 S8 Plus or the Apple iPhone 8 Plus?
The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus lists the lower hotspot sar, wi-fi + cellular (us): 1.10 W/kg vs 1.59 W/kg for the Apple iPhone 8 Plus (31% 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 S8 Plus's highest listed value is 1.52 W/kg and the Apple iPhone 8 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 A3LSMG955F and BCG-E3160A). Nothing on this page is estimated.
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