Speaker Volume Test: iPhone 2G vs. 3G vs. 3GS vs. 4 vs. 4S vs. 5 [Video]

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Posted September 30, 2012 at 4:19pm by Shalom Levytam

We noticed that our new iPhone 5 speaker feels a bit louder than that of the iPhone 4S so we used a decibel meter and some pink noise to test the speaker volume of each iPhone.

Interestingly, it appears Apple improved on the iPhone 2G speaker with the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS but when it released the new iPhone 4 design the speaker was significantly quieter than the previous two devices.

The iPhone 4S and 5 were the loudest overall with the iPhone 5 being the clear winner.

Results:
● iPhone 2G: 91.0 dBA
● iPhone 3G: 95.0 dBA
● iPhone 3GS: 97.6 dBA
● iPhone 4: 92.8 dBA
● iPhone 4S: 97.9 dBA
● iPhone 5: 100.3 dBA

Take a look at the video below!

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King - October 1, 2012 at 4:35am

I would have laughed if the 2g was the loudest..... Maybe that's why they put the mic further from it

ricardo - October 1, 2012 at 1:24am

thank you, nice info...

Leggoman - October 1, 2012 at 1:18am

Test is a waste of time. To many unknowns to be any use to any one.

Jenya - October 1, 2012 at 12:17am

Nice music. What is the name?

billy - September 30, 2012 at 11:25pm

for some reason i miss iphone 2g still

Tim - September 30, 2012 at 7:26pm

-_- Mind re-testing by putting it all the same distance form the speaker? mmkay, thx. It's like testing a monitor by taking readings from the edge of the screen vs the center of the screen

Tjp - September 30, 2012 at 8:44pm

Ummm... The speaker in use is at the bottom of the device. So pretty much as close as they can get. Would be cool if the did a phone call and tested the second speaker as well...

silencer - September 30, 2012 at 5:35pm

Incidentally, were all of the tested products fresh out of the box or did you let them become contaminated with age which affects the speaker?

te72s - September 30, 2012 at 6:41pm

Yeah, they went back in time to test each phone as soon as it was manufactured.

Jdjs - September 30, 2012 at 5:35pm

Great article.. Finally someone tackled this

silencer - September 30, 2012 at 5:33pm

Ya..... looks like someone forgot about inverse square law. I call BS.

Awayze - September 30, 2012 at 5:06pm

3GS is louder than the 4.

iPhonedo - September 30, 2012 at 4:35pm

Next time, please don't use that music in the background. This is not sesame street.

Insa - September 30, 2012 at 4:35pm

Guys, Would you please write the readings of the DB meter under every device because I personally couldn't see the readings of the db devices. Its dark.

iClarified - September 30, 2012 at 4:39pm

Will add them to the article shortly.

Palito - September 30, 2012 at 8:41pm

I also would apreciate it, because on 3G video on iPhone I'm unable to read it. Thx!