Which smartphones shine the most? The Federal Office for Radiation Protection has published a list showing that many popular smartphone models from OnePlus, Xiaomi, Apple, Huawei and Sony have a relatively high SAR value.
Technical devices emit electromagnetic radiation. While one is not permanently exposed to most radiation sources in everyday life, smartphones are a constant companion for many. Precisely because a large part of the population is in such close contact with smartphones and the associated radiation, it is worth taking a closer look at the radiation values of current devices, which are now even a decision-making criterion for many users when making a purchase.
SAR value indicates radiation from smartphones
In our “TECHBOOK Basics” format, Editor-in-Chief Andreas Filbig explains briefly and clearly what the SAR value is:
The radiation from smartphones is specified with the so-called SAR value (specific absorption rate). It shows how strong the energy is that the body absorbs from electromagnetic radiation – because this penetrates a few millimeters into the human body. It is given in watts per kilogram and differs from smartphone to smartphone. You can find the value for your device either on the manufacturer’s data sheet or on the homepage of the manufacturer Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS).
The World Health Organization (WHO) sets a guideline for mobile phone radiation. Accordingly, the permissible upper limit is a value of 2.00 watts/kg, i.e. a SAR value of 2.
Which smartphones shine the most? – Updated list
The Federal Office for Radiation Protection keeps records of the radiation levels from new smartphones. The radiation emitted when making calls with a mobile phone is measured on the ear and on the body. The value at the ear is decisive for the ranking in the following list, since the radiation value is particularly high when telephoning and the mobile phone is usually held to the ear. The list contains the 15 smartphones that currently have the highest SAR values on the ear according to the BfS. In addition to the Chinese manufacturers Xiaomi, Huawei and OnePlus, the Romanian manufacturer Allview now also has smartphones in the list.
| Manufacturer/Type | SAR value (on the ear) | SAR value (on the body) |
|---|---|---|
| Allview-P7 Pro | 1.82 | no |
| Motorola-motorola edge | 1.79 | 1.68 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Xiaomi-Mi A1 | 1.75 | 0.76 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Xiaomi – Mi A1 LTE Dual SIM (Model MDG2) | 1.75 | 0.76 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Wiko-JERRY3 | 1.61 | 1:15 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Alcatel – Alcatel 1SE (5030F) | 1.59 | 1.62 (measuring distance: 3.44 cm) |
| Alcatel – Alcatel IDOL 5 (6058X) | 1.59 | 1.59 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Allview – X4 Soul Lite | 1.59 | no |
| ZTE – Axon 11 5G | 1.59 | no |
| Xiaomi – Mi Max 3 (Model M1804E4A) | 1.58 | 1.42 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Alcatel – Alcatel A7 (5050Y) | 1.57 | 1.45 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Asus-ZenFone 6 (ZS630KL) | 1.57 | 0.98 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Xiaomi – Mi Mix 3 5G (Model M1810E5GG) | 1.56 | 1.56 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| OnePlus-OnePlus 6T | 1.55 | 1.27 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Alcatel – Alcatel 3L (2020) (5029D) | 1.53 | 1.46 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
Which smartphones have low radiation?
Parallel to the list of smartphones with the highest radiation, there is of course also the other side of the scale: the smartphones that are particularly low in radiation. Among other things, the manufacturer Samsung stands out positively, which is the only one of the really big manufacturers to be represented on the list and even several times.
| Manufacturer/Type | SAR value at the ear | SAR value on the body |
|---|---|---|
| ZTE Blade V10 | 0.13 | 0.85 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Wiko LENNY4 | 0.15 | 0.85 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Samsung-Galaxy Note 8 | 0.17 | 1.29 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| TP-LINK – Neffos C9 | 0.17 | 0.86 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| ZTE-AXON ELITE | 0.17 | 0.49 (measuring distance: 1.5 cm) |
| Wiko-UPULSE | 0.18 | 1:18 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Gigaset – Gigaset 185 | 0.19 | 1:11 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Samsung-Galaxy Note10+ | 0.19 | 1.4 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Wiko VIEW PRIME | 0.19 | 1.62 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Archos Access 57 | 0.2 | 1.81 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 10 | 0.21 | 1.52 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Samsung-Galaxy A80 | 0.22 | 1.43 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| LG – LG G7 ThinQ | 0.24 | 1.47 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Samsung-Galaxy A8 | 0.24 | 1.25 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
| Samsung-Galaxy S20 FE | 0.241 | 1,447 (measuring distance: 0.5 cm) |
Also interesting: iPhone comparison – these Apple smartphones shine the brightest
Is Cell Phone Radiation Dangerous?
So far there is no really insightful knowledge about the long-term effects of mobile phone radiation. There are always studies that show an increased risk of cancer, while others want to refute this. A group of experts The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) met in Lyon in 2011 to review all available scientific evidence. Commenting on the results, Kurt Straif, Chair of the IARC Monographs Programme, said at the time: “There is currently no conclusive evidence that cell phone use can cause cancer in humans”. Nevertheless, the experts agreed to classify mobile phone radiation as “possibly carcinogenic”. There are indications from individual studies that there may be an increased risk of brain tumors, especially in heavy mobile phone users. However, they want to review the assessment again in a few years when there are new study results.
So if you want to be on the safe side, you should use a smartphone with a low SAR value.