Which phones have the lowest SAR?

Question

Which phone models have the lowest declared SAR, and does buying one lower my exposure?

Answer

Among current models in this dataset the lowest declared values at the ear are the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G at 0.38 W/kg, the Fairphone Gen. 6 at 0.48 W/kg and the Samsung Galaxy A36 5G at 0.53 W/kg, against an EU limit of 2 W/kg averaged over 10 g of tissue; recent iPhones sit near the top of the range at 1.49 W/kg. All of them are declarations from a worst-case compliance test at maximum transmit power, so they rank how the models behave in that test and not how much energy your body absorbs day to day — a phone with strong reception transmits orders of magnitude below maximum power. Choosing a lower-SAR model changes real exposure far less than using speakerphone or wired earphones and calling where the signal is good.

Related records

• Samsung Galaxy A16 5G

  Declared maximum SAR of 0.38 W/kg at the ear and 0.94 W/kg worn on the body at 5 mm, against the EU limit of 2 W/kg averaged over 10 g of tissue — 19% of the limit at the ear. Below the Blue Angel eco-label's 0.5 W/kg ear criterion, though BfS records that the label's remaining radiation requirements are not met.

  Device SAR

• Fairphone Gen. 6

  Declared maximum SAR of 0.48 W/kg at the ear and 1.39 W/kg worn on the body at 5 mm, against the EU limit of 2 W/kg averaged over 10 g of tissue — 24% of the limit at the ear. Below the Blue Angel eco-label's 0.5 W/kg ear criterion, though BfS records that the label's remaining radiation requirements are not met.

  Device SAR

• ICNIRP 2020 local SAR basic restriction (head and torso)

  2 W/kg averaged over 10 grams of tissue for the general public — a different averaging mass than the FCC's 1 g, which is why SAR numbers are not directly comparable between regions.

  Exposure limits

• Does a low-SAR phone matter?

  SAR is a worst-case compliance figure; usage habits change real exposure far more than choosing between compliant models. U.S. 1 g and ICNIRP 10 g values are not comparable.

  Direct answers

Sources

1. bfs-sar-database SAR search — declared SAR values of mobile phones — Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (German Federal Office for Radiation Protection). government, link checked 2026-08-12.
2. bfs-sar-mobile Specific absorption rate (SAR) of mobile phones — measurement procedure and interpretation — Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (German Federal Office for Radiation Protection). government, link checked 2026-08-12.
3. icnirp-2020 Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (100 kHz to 300 GHz) — International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, 2020. guideline, link checked 2026-08-12.