Among modern telephones there are very few that can boast a telephone signal reception capacity comparable to the first telephones sold in the 2000s. Many users claim that the old telephones still take practically everywhere, while the new telephones (even those from 1000 € and pass) hardly manage to get the full signal, even in big cities.If the problem is not therefore the coverage of the chosen operator (since with the same SIM the old phone takes very well), we must focus on another parameter that has changed considerably over the years, directly influencing the reception capacity of the phones: the SAR value.In the following guide we will show you what SAR value means and which modern phones do best in relation to this parameter, underestimated by many but which can really make the difference between a phone that picks up virtually anywhere and a phone that only picks up under the operator’s antenna.
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What is the SAR value
The specific absorption rate, also indicated with the abbreviation SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) indicates the electromagnetic energy theoretically absorbed by the human body when it is exposed to the action of an electromagnetic field. In order to place a new phone on the European market, the SAR value must be equal to or less than 2 W / Kg (measured in 10 g of fabric).
A phone with a higher SAR value will be able to handle a stronger electromagnetic field, thus allowing the antenna to better pick up the signal of the telephone operator, at least from a theoretical point of view. Obviously we must not fear damage to health: the values chosen by the European Union are very restrictive and allow you to also choose a phone with high SAR values without incurring permanent damage to the tissues of the head and body.
For all the phones in this guide we will show you, in addition to the common technical characteristics of the phones, also the SAR values for head and body, so you can choose only the phones that take better (higher SAR value).
Xiaomi Poco M3 Pro 5G
The first phone that we can consider for optimal reception is it Xiaomi Poco M3 Pro 5G, available on Amazon for less than € 200.
This phone has a 6.5-inch HD screen, octa-core processor, 4 of RAM, 64 GB of internal memory, triple rear camera of 48MP, battery of 5000 mAh, fast charge, support Dual SIM, support 5G networks, operating system Android 11 and SAR values 0.539 W / Kg (head) and 0.895 W / Kg (body).
realme 8 5G
Another phone that takes really good is the realme 8 5G, sold and shipped by Amazon for less than 200 €.
On this phone we find a 6.5-inch HD fluid display, 90 Hz screen technology, Dimensity 700 processor, 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB of internal memory, 5,000 mAh battery, quad 48 MP rear camera with Nightscape mode, support Dual Sim, NFC, Android 11 operating system and SAR values 0.788 W / Kg (head) and 1.275 W / Kg (body).
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
Among the phones with excellent reception we also find it Xiaomi Redmi Note 10, sold and shipped by Amazon for less than 250 €.
This phone features a 6.5 inch screen, 90Hz DotDisplay screen technology, MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G processor, 6GB of RAM, 64GB of internal memory, triple 48MP rear camera with artificial intelligence, 5000mAh battery, fast charging from 33W, Android 11 operating system and SAR values 0.595 W / Kg (head) and 0.969 W / Kg (body).
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite
A really powerful phone that takes “even in the gallery” is definitely theXiaomi Mi 11 Lite, available on Amazon for less than € 300.
This smartphone boasts a 6.55-inch screen, AMOLED Dot Display technology, Snapdragon 732G processor, 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB of internal storage, triple 64 MP rear camera with artificial intelligence, 4250 mAh battery, Android operating system 11 and SAR values 0.599 W / Kg (head) and 0.948 W / Kg (body).
OnePlus Nord 2 5G
If we are looking for a new phone and able to take it anywhere, even in the open countryside, we can rely on the OnePlus Nord 2 5G, sold and shipped by Amazon for less than 400 €.
This phone boasts a 6.43 inch FHD + screen, 90Hz Fluid AMOLED screen technology, MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB internal storage, triple rear camera, 4500mAh battery, 65W fast charging , Android 11 operating system and SAR values of 1,140 W / Kg (head) and 1,150 W / Kg (body).
Realme GT
The modern phone with the highest SAR values is currently the Realme GT, sold and shipped by Amazon for less than 600 €.
On this phone we find a 6.43-inch Super AMOLED display at 120Hz, Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G processor, 12 GB of RAM, 256 GB of internal memory, triple 64MP rear camera, 4500 mAh battery, 65W SuperDart charging, system operating Android 11 and SAR values 1,458 W / Kg (head) and 1,617 W / Kg (body), very close to the 2 W / Kg limit set by the European Union.
Apple iPhone XR
If we want to examine the best reception phone among the phones sold by Apple, the best is theApple iPhone XR, sold and shipped by Amazon for less than 600 €.
On this iPhone we find a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina HD display, A12 Bionic processor with Neural Engine, 64 GB of internal memory, Face ID authentication system, 12MP camera, 7MP TrueDepth front camera, iOS 14 operating system and SAR values 0.990 W / Kg (head) and 0.990 W / Kg (body).
Conclusions
By choosing one of the phones seen above we will get phones that take well under any circumstances, net of the coverage and network capacity of the operator we have chosen. If our operator takes badly or does not have enough antennas in the place where we are, it is unlikely that a telephone with a high SAR will be able to improve the situation; against with excellent network coverage a SAR phone will pick up even in inaccessible places.
However, SAR values should not be considered as an exact science, but they can still help out when choosing one phone over another. To learn more, we recommend that you read our guides How to check cellular signal strength on smartphone or Test app for the cellular data network.
If, on the other hand, we have serious reception problems with our current phone, we can continue reading in the guide Troubleshoot weak or no signal on mobile phone.
