In September 2025, Apple launched its iPhone 17 lineup, including the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone 17 Air models. The Phonegate Alert calculator reveals that the actual head SAR of these devices is more than seven times higher than the official values communicated by Apple. This situation is all the more worrying since Santé Publique France reports a 230% increase in 20 years in glioblastomas, the most serious brain cancers, in young people aged 15 to 39.
Official SAR: regulatory but misleading measures
The official Specific Absorption Rates (SAR) indicated by Apple are 1.49 W/kg for the head, trunk and limbs. These measures, which are supposed to comply with European standards, are misleading. Indeed, they are carried out at a regulatory distance between the phone and the body that does not correspond to real uses, often with the phone in contact with the body and head of the users.
Real SAR: alarming exposures to contact
Thanks to a rigorous methodology, Phonegate Alert calculates the actual SARs. In particular, it takes into account the actual proximity of the smartphone to the body and head based on the most up-to-date scientific and technical data. Our results show that exposure to the head is more than seven times higher than the official SAR (11.18 W/kg instead of 2 W/kg which is the standard in Europe). The trunk also experiences a significant overshoot (7.45 W/kg). On the other hand, the SAR for members (2.98 W/kg) remains below the regulatory limit (4 W/kg).
Official vs real SAR comparison for the iPhone 17 lineup
| Model | Official SAR Head (W/kg) | Official SAR Trunk (W/kg) | Official Member SAR (W/kg) | True SAR Head (W/kg) | True SAR Trunk (W/kg) | True SAR Members (W/kg) |
| iPhone 17 | 1,49 | 1,49 | 1,49 | 11,18 | 7,45 | 2,98 |
| iPhone 17 Pro | 1,49 | 1,49 | 1,49 | 11,18 | 7,45 | 2,98 |
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | 1,49 | 1,49 | 1,49 | 11,18 | 7,45 | 2,98 |
| iPhone 17 Air | 1,49 | 1,49 | 1,49 | 11,18 | 7,45 | 2,98 |
Limited transparency: Apple prioritizes connectivity over health risk
One point of concern is the near invisibility of DAS information on Apple‘s product pages. It is relegated to the bottom of the page, difficult to find for the general public. In addition, Apple seems to prioritize the performance of its devices. On the iPhone 17 range, it increases the head SAR instead of reducing it, despite the knowledge of the health risks. This strategy is the subject of a detailed analysis in an article in iGeneration. It shows that the average SAR of iPhones for the head has increased overall between the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 17.
The temporary ban on the iPhone 12 has not made Apple back down
This has caused a strong reaction from Dr. Marc Arazi, who was at the origin of the alert on the industrial scandal of Phonegate:
“With the iPhone 12, France has already seen a major regulatory overrun on SAR in 2023, which was recently confirmed by a decision by the European Commission. Our analysis on the iPhone 17 confirms that, despite the health alerts, Apple continues to increase the actual exposure to the head. This trend raises serious questions about the American giant’s consideration of public health. »
Faced with these shortcomings, Phonegate Alert calls for total transparency from Apple and manufacturers and for an urgent reassessment of the exposure standards requested by the Health Safety Agency ANSES in 2019 and by a formal objection from France to the European Commission in 2020.
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