Evaluation of smartphone sound measurement applications

TLDR

The study evaluates whether smartphone sound‑measurement apps can accurately measure occupational noise. The authors tested over 130 iOS and 62 Android apps on a representative sample of smartphones and tablets, selecting only 10 iOS and 4 Android apps that met their criteria. Results showed two apps had mean differences of 0.07 dB (unweighted) and –0.52 dB (A‑weighted) from reference values, while two others differed by less than ±2 dB, indicating that some apps may be suitable for occupational noise measurement.

Abstract

This study reports on the accuracy of smartphone sound measurement applications (apps) and whether they can be appropriately employed for occupational noise measurements. A representative sample of smartphones and tablets on various platforms were acquired, more than 130 iOS apps were evaluated but only 10 apps met our selection criteria. Only 4 out of 62 Android apps were tested. The results showed two apps with mean differences of 0.07 dB (unweighted) and -0.52 dB (A-weighted) from the reference values. Two other apps had mean differences within ±2 dB. The study suggests that certain apps may be appropriate for use in occupational noise measurements.