Why does my phone make a noise when I turn it on?

The familiar sound that plays when you turn on your smartphone has become an iconic part of the mobile experience. Though subtle, the startup sound serves important purposes, from brand identity to accessibility.

Smartphone startup sounds date back to the early days of mobile devices in the 1990s. As phones evolved from simple communication devices to compact computers in your pocket, the startup sound remains a nostalgic callback to simpler times.

This short melody signifies the phone is powered on and ready to use. It also provides auditory feedback that the device is functioning normally. In an always-connected world, the startup sound reminds us of technology coming to life in our hands.

Origins

The startup sound first emerged with early smartphones like the original iPhone in 2007. When Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone, he made a point of demonstrating the “unlock” sound it made on startup, indicating it was ready for use. This small audio cue was innovative for phones at the time and helped reinforce the iPhone as a new, “magical” device unlike any other mobile phone. The startup sound provided auditory feedback that the iPhone had powered on successfully and was ready for input

Other smartphone makers like Google with Android followed suit by adding their own unique startup sounds. These auditory branding cues helped companies distinguish their devices and operating systems in a crowded market. As smartphones proliferated over the years, the startup sound became a key part of the mobile experience that users now take for granted.

Technical Reasons

When you turn on your smartphone, several components need to initialize and check that they are working properly before the phone is ready for use. This process generates various noises that account for the start up sounds.

The main system-on-chip or processor has to boot up, load the operating system, and initialize all the drivers for components like the screen, cellular modem, WiFi/Bluetooth, camera, and more. Fans, vibrators, and other mechanical parts may spin up briefly to test they are functioning (Source 1).

The various radios like cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth, and NFC also have to initialize on start up. They may emit noises as they scan for nearby networks or pair with previously connected devices. The cellular modem in particular has to connect to the carrier network, which involves some noisy handshaking (Source 2).

The operating system plays certain sounds like chimes and beeps during the boot process for brand identity purposes, which will be covered next. But many of the odd squeaks, buzzes, and clicks on power up have a technical origin as the phone’s components wake up and prepare for use.

Brand Identity

Brands use distinctive sounds and audio cues as part of their brand identity and recognition. According to the CMO Alliance, “Sound branding encompasses the strategic use of audio elements to establish and reinforce a brand’s identity.”

Certain brands are instantly recognizable by their unique sounds and audio logos. For example, the Intel Inside jingle creates a strong association between the audio and the Intel brand ¹. The iconic Apple start-up chime is a short, distinctive sound that people associate with Apple products.

Brands invest heavily in crafting custom sounds and jingles as part of their audio identity. Winsavvy notes that audio branding “helps brands stand out amidst the noise and clutter.” Memorable sounds that uniquely identify a brand can lead to increased brand awareness and loyalty from consumers.

Overall, audio cues allow brands to reinforce their image and persona. As noted in Medium, “A brand’s identity helps the consumer choose to buy from them or not. Their sonic identity reinforces and supports that persona.”

Accessibility

One important reason phones make a sound when turning on is for accessibility for vision impaired users. The audible chime provides confirmation that the device has powered on successfully. This is an important accessibility feature for those who cannot see the visual cues of the device lighting up.

As this source discusses, Apple has included a specific startup sound that can be enabled through the accessibility settings on iPhones. This provides an audible confirmation when the iPhone powers on, allowing vision impaired users to know their device is ready to use.

Other smartphone operating systems like Android also have audible prompts and chimes that can be enabled for accessibility. Providing startup/power on sounds allows vision impaired users to utilize mobile devices independently.

Customization

One of the main reasons phone manufacturers include a startup sound is to allow for customization. Users often want to personalize their devices to suit their own style and preferences. The default startup sound can be changed to a sound of the user’s choosing.

On Android devices, the startup sound is usually easy to customize. Users can go into the device settings, sound or theme settings, and select a new startup sound. There are often preset options to choose from, or the ability to upload a custom audio file. For example, on Samsung Galaxy devices, users can go to Settings > Sounds and vibration > Startup sound and choose a new sound.

Being able to customize the startup sound allows users to express their personality through their device. It also enables accessibility features, like having a unique sound that is identifiable to a specific user. Overall, customization adds a personal touch and gives users more control over their experience.

Psychology

The sound our phones make when turning on triggers a psychological response. As we’ve grown accustomed to our devices, we’ve formed a Pavlovian association between the power-on sound and receiving notifications or messages. This conditions us to feel a sense of anticipation or excitement when we hear the sound, even if no alerts are present.[1] The sound taps into our innate desire for social interaction and becomes rewarding or addictive over time.

Research has shown that just having a phone nearby can reduce our available cognitive capacity, even if we’re not actively using it.[2] The notification sound acts as a further distraction, triggering us to reach for our devices to seek information or social connection. Phone companies leverage insights from psychology and neuroscience to make the power-on sound as compelling as possible.

Evolving Startup Sounds

The startup sounds on our phones have evolved over the years alongside changing technology and design trends.

In early landline phones, the strong dial tone was needed to power the mechanical components and travel long distances across old copper lines. As technology advanced and mobile phones emerged, more subtle power-on chimes and notes grew in popularity.

Ringtone melodies also became fashionable as a way for brands to establish an audio identity. The iconic Nokia tune or old Windows start jingle were often the first touchpoints for consumers experiencing new mobile devices.

Now with seamless smartphones, slick uncluttered interfaces, and taptic feedback, contemporary power-on sounds have faded to the background or been silenced altogether. A subtle resonant tone or lack of any defined startup sound fits modern aesthetics and the continuous operation of always-on smart devices.

Comparisons – Android vs iPhone Sounds

One key difference between Android and iPhone OS is the lack of a startup sound on iPhones. Unlike many Android devices that play a sound when powering up, iPhones have been silent upon startup since the original iPhone in 2007
(Source). Companies like OnePlus design custom boot up sounds to establish brand identify. But Apple has eschewed startup sounds on its iOS devices. Only in 2022 with the iPhone 14 has Apple provided an accessibility setting to enable a subtle startup chime, and many users have been clamoring for more customization options to match the personality of Android OS.

This focuses on the key differences in startup sounds between the two mobile operating systems, citing your provided sources. I aimed to analyze why iPhone has lacked sounds until recently while Android encourages custom sounds for brand identity and personalization. Please let me know if you would like me to modify or expand the section further.

The Future

Startup sounds on phones may find new use cases in future technologies. For example, according to Listen’s guide to emerging audio technology, voice assistants and other “voice tech” that use AI and speech recognition are a key area of growth. Startup sounds could play a role in activating or confirming when a voice assistant has turned on to start listening. As more appliances and devices incorporate voice assistants, startup sounds may spread beyond phones.

Additionally, as described in this YouTube video exploring future smartphones, devices are integrating more sensors and connectivity features like 5G. Startup sounds could provide audible confirmation when all these components have loaded and the phone is ready for use. With phones taking on advanced capabilities like augmented reality and integrating various inputs, startup sounds may grow more complex to reflect the initialization process. The potential applications remain to be seen as phones continue advancing.