Cell phone radiation is a serious concern these days. If you want to know which cell phones have the lowest radiation, or SAR value, or which cell phones have the highest radiation, you’re in the right place!
There are a few ways you can find SAR Values for cell phones and we’ll go over those here. However, I put a handy chart together and included the newest and most popular cell phone models in 2022.
Jump straight to the Cell phone radiation chart now! (it includes 33 current models in 2022).
What’s the lowest radiation cell phone? The head SAR Value for the Samsung Galaxy A32 (Model SM-A326U) is the lowest at 0.57 W/kg when used against the head. Jump to the article below for more information and details on what SAR Values are and what they mean.
What’s the highest RF radiation cell phone? The head SAR Value for the Motorola Edge (2021) is the highest at 1.25 W/kg when used against the head of the cell phones researched here.
Over the past decade, cell phone usage, as well as the use of tablets, computers, and Wi-Fi, has significantly increased.
Most people who use a cell phone or other devices regularly throughout their day have a continuous exposure to non-ionizing RF (radiofrequency) radiation.
Non-ionizing radiation comes from all sorts of electronics; it also comes from power lines outside (do you know that you can measure the EMF of it?), your router, and your microwave. Pretty much anything technological that uses a cord will produce an electromagnetic field that gives off radiation. Though there’re a lot of contradiction on whether sleeping near a router is safe or not and if a normal microwave emits radiation or not, a few studies suggest to keep ourselves at a safe distance from all possible radiating elements.
However, there tends to be a greater concern about cell phone radiation than other objects because we are constantly holding phones right up against our heads. Anything that is that close to your brain should be something we actively pay attention to when doing scientific research.
Recommended EMF Protection Products
- TriField EMF Meter Model TF2 (Amazon) – measures the 3 different types of EMF radiation, including RF radiation from routers and cell phones
- Wifi Router Guard Cover (Amazon) – blocks up to 90% of EMF radiation from router using a Faraday cage
- Smart Meter Guard Cover (Amazon) – blocks up to 98% of EMF radiation emitted from your smart meter
- EMF Protection Underwear for Men & Women – Lambs uses WaveStopper technology to block 99% of UV and Wireless Radiation.
- EMF Protection T-Shirts for Men & Women – Lambs independently lab tested material blocks 99% of UV and Wireless Radiation
Cell Phone Radiation – What is Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)?
Even when if your phone is locked and hidden away in your pocket or purse, it is giving off radiation.
Check out this article: Do iPhones Emit Radiation When Turned Off?
You should not be too alarmed by this; phones produce non-ionizing radiation and do not put you in any immediate danger, if that were the case, cell phones would be made illegal for safety reasons (hopefully).
Ionizing radiation literally strips electrons from the atoms in your body; cell phone radiation is non-ionizing, so it does not affect your DNA in any way.
The next time you purchase a new cell phone, you should look at the radiation level it produces. All legitimate cell phones sold in the US are subject to FCC regulations, so they are in the safe zone with radiation, but some have less than others.
When you look at the specifications and manufacturer information of a phone, the radiation emission amount they give you is usually given as a SAR value (specific absorption rate).
SAR is directly related to RF energy (radiofrequency); SAR is a measure of the amount of radiofrequency energy absorbed by the body when using a mobile phone.
To better understand this – think about your phone giving off an electromagnetic field as a bubble around your phone, going out about a foot or two.
That field is called the EMF, and it gives off RF radiation. If you measured how quickly or efficiently the RF radiation is absorbed by your body, that is the SAR number value.
The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has safety limitations put on all cell phones under their jurisdiction that prevents cell phone manufacturers from creating a product that goes beyond a specific strength of radiation (keep reading to learn more about this).
Harmful Effects of Cell Phone Radiation
The FCC and the World Health Organization (WHO) have a record of many studies that have been conducted on the effects of RF radiation on the human body and other living organisms. However, the results to date have been inconclusive and cannot definitively connect cell phone radiation with specific health problems.
In the past, many cases have shown that children that were exposed to high levels of RF radiation had an increased risk of leukemia or other cancers, but this is also not proven.
To see specific information on epidemiologic studies on cell phone radiation and its effects on humans, visit the National Cancer Institute website.
FCC Phone Radiation Emission Level Regulations
The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has regulations put in place to make sure cell phone manufacturers do not produce a phone that is dangerous to consumers.
The SAR limit set by the FCC is 1.6 W/kg maximum:
The SAR is a value that corresponds to the relative amount of RF energy absorbed in the head of a user of a wireless handset. The FCC limit for public exposure from cellular telephones is an SAR level of 1.6 watts per kilogram (1.6 W/kg).
– Source: https://www.fcc.gov/general/cell-phones-and-specific-absorption-rate
Upon the creation of a new phone by a manufacturer, they must run multiple tests on the phone to make sure it falls under the specific absorption rate limit and meets all other FCC safety standards and guidelines. The resulting data from these tests are eventually put into the FCC database for public viewing.
To find out technical information and test results of a specific cell phone, you can conduct a search on the FCC website using an FCC ID. The FFCID is an identification number for a particular make and model of cell phone; it allows you to access information regarding a cell phone more convenient.
How to Use an FCC ID to Find Cell Phone Radiation Level
First, you will need to find the FCC ID of your cell phone or the cell phone you want to purchase.
If the back panel of your phone comes apart and you have access to the phone’s battery, the FCC ID should be behind it.
Of course, if you do not have the phone yet, you will not be able to look behind the battery, but you can find it online. Just make sure that you look at a reliable source, or even the manufacturer’s official website (i.e., samsung.com or apple.com).
Once you have obtained the FCC ID, you will then need to enter it in the search boxes on the FCC website. The link to this search page is below. There are two search boxes on the page: one is the “Grantee Code,” and the other is the “Equipment Product Code.”
It is simple, the Grantee Code is the first three characters of the FCC ID, and the Equipment Product Code is the rest of the ID. Some FCC IDs have a hyphen in the middle of the code, in which case you would remove the dash symbol.
As an example:
The FCC ID for the Samsung Galaxy S10 is A3LSMG973U. So, in the FCC search window, you would type “A3L” in the first box, and “SMG973U” in the second, then click “search.”
You will then come to a page that has links to testing results, manuals, and other detailed information regarding that specific phone.
To visit the FCC ID search page, click here.
To save you some time, keep reading to view a cell phone radiation emissions chart for popular phones in 2022, where I put together the information on SAR levels for you.
Chart – SAR Levels of Major Cell Phones
You can sort this chart by the headers. So, feel free to sort from brand or SAR level.
SAR is a measure of the amount of RF energy absorbed into the body and companies report both the head and body. This chart lists the SAR value for the head.
| Brand | Model | SAR (W/kg) (Head) | Source of Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | iPhone 13 Pro Max | 1.18 | Apple |
| Apple | iPhone 13 Pro | 1.20 | Apple |
| Apple | iPhone 13 | 1.18 | Apple |
| Apple | iPhone 13 Mini | 1.19 | Apple |
| Apple | iPhone 12 Pro Max (A2411, A2412, A2413) | 1.19 | Apple |
| Apple | iPhone 12 Pro (A2341) | 1.16 | Apple |
| Apple | iPhone 12 (A2172) | 1.17 | Apple |
| Apple | iPhone 12 Mini (A2176) | 1.16 | Apple |
| Apple | iPhone 12 SE (2nd gen) | 1.17 | Apple |
| Apple | iPhone 11 Pro Max | 1.16 | Apple |
| Apple | iPhone 11 Pro (A2215) | 1.18 | Apple |
| Apple | iPhone 11 (A2221) | 1.09 | Apple |
| Apple | iPhone XR | 1.13 | Apple |
| Apple | iPhone XS Max | 1.16 | Apple |
| Apple | iPhone XS | 1.19 | Apple |
| Apple | iPhone X (A1901) | 1.08 | Apple |
| Apple | iPhone 8 Plus (A1897) | 1.19 | Apple |
| Apple | iPhone 8 (A1905) | 1.19 | Apple |
| Samsung | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998U) | 0.77 | Samsung |
| Samsung | Samsung Galaxy S21 (SM-G991U) | 0.74 | Samsung |
| Samsung | Samsung Galaxy S21+ (SM-G996U) | 0.65 | Samsung |
| Samsung | Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (SM-N986U) | 0.83 | Samsung |
| Samsung | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 (SM-F926U) | 0.73 | Samsung |
| Samsung | Samsung Galaxy A52 (SM-A526U) | 0.74 | Samsung |
| Samsung | Samsung Galaxy A32 (SM-A326U) | 0.57 | Samsung |
| Samsung | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 (SM-F711U) | 1.12 | Samsung |
| Motorola | Motorola One 5G Ace | 1.18 | Motorola |
| Motorola | Moto G Power (2022) | 1.19 | Motorola |
| Motorola | Motorola Edge (2021) | 1.25 | Motorola |
| Motorola | Moto G Stylus (2021) | 1.09 | Motorola |
| Pixel 6 (G9S9B) | 1.19 | ||
| Pixel 6 (GB7N6/GR1YH) | 1.20 | ||
| Pixel 6 Pro | 1.11 |
How to Protect Yourself from Cell Phone Radiation
You can do two things to quickly protect yourself from cell phone radiation or to at least reduce the amount of radiation your body absorbs.
- Buy a cell phone with a low SAR level
- Use a radiation blocking cell phone case (Article: Ultimate Guide To The Best Cell Phone Radiation Protection Cell Phone Cases)
- Use an air tube headset to create distance between your body and the phone to avoid radiation. Check our list of best sir tube headset.
To find a cell phone that emits only a small amount of non-ionizing radiation, follow the instructions above to check the SAR levels of cell phones (some have been researched for you in the above table).
Without information or research, you can assume that any Samsung phone most likely gives off less radiation than other phones.
It also costs much less to buy a case instead of purchasing an entirely new cell phone. For the most significant difference, you may consider doing both!
You can find additional information about SAR at the following pages:
fcc.gov
icnirp.org
ec.europa.eu
dot.gov.in
Samsung Radiation Level
The Samsung cell phones are among the lowest SAR values when used against the head.
From lowest SAR value to highest, they are:
| Samsung Galaxy A32 (SM-A326U) | 0.57 (W/kg) Head |
| Samsung Galaxy S21+ (SM-G996U) | 0.65 (W/kg) Head |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 (SM-F926U) | 0.73 (W/kg) Head |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 (SM-G991U) | 0.74 (W/kg) Head |
| Samsung Galaxy A52 (SM-A526U) | 0.74 (W/kg) Head |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998U) | 0.77 (W/kg) Head |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (SM-N986U) | 0.83 (W/kg) Head |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 (SM-F711U) | 1.12 (W/kg) Head |
Low Radiation Phones
The lowest radiation phones are measured by SAR rating. SAR is directly related to radiofrequency (RF) energy. It provides us with a quantifiable measure of the amount of RF energy absorbed by the body when using a mobile phone.
The 10 lowest radiation phones include:
| Samsung Galaxy A32 (SM-A326U) | 0.57 (W/kg) Head |
| Samsung Galaxy S21+ (SM-G996U) | 0.65 (W/kg) Head |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 (SM-F926U) | 0.73 (W/kg) Head |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 (SM-G991U) | 0.74 (W/kg) Head |
| Samsung Galaxy A52 (SM-A526U) | 0.74 (W/kg) Head |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (SM-G998U) | 0.77 (W/kg) Head |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (SM-N986U) | 0.83 (W/kg) Head |
| iPhone X (A1901) | 1.08 (W/kg) Head |
| iPhone 11 (A2221) | 1.09 (W/kg) Head |
| Moto G Stylus (2021) | 1.09 (W/kg) Head |
Highest Radiation Cell Phones
The highest radiation phones are measured by SAR rating. SAR is directly related to radiofrequency (RF) energy. It provides us with a quantifiable measure of the amount of RF energy absorbed by the body when using a mobile phone.
The 10 highest radiation phones include:
| Motorola Edge (2021) | 1.25 (W/kg) Head |
| iPhone 13 Pro | 1.20 (W/kg) Head |
| Pixel 6 (GB7N6/GR1YH) | 1.20 (W/kg) Head |
| iPhone 13 Mini | 1.19 (W/kg) Head |
| iPhone 12 Pro Max (A2411, A2412, A2413) | 1.19 (W/kg) Head |
| iPhone XS | 1.19 (W/kg) Head |
| iPhone 8 Plus (A1897) | 1.19 (W/kg) Head |
| iPhone 8 (A1905) | 1.19 (W/kg) Head |
| Moto G Power (2022) | 1.19 (W/kg) Head |
| Pixel 6 (G9S9B) | 1.19 (W/kg) Head |
Importantly, all of the highest SAR value cell phones fall lower than the SAR limit set by the FCC of 1.6 W/kg maximum.
