Back in the early days of mobile phones, some computer speakers could “predict” incoming calls not because they were smart, but because phones leaked signals before they rang.
When a GSM phone was about to receive a call or text, it first communicated with the nearest cell tower to set up the connection. That handshake happened seconds before the phone actually rang. During this process, the phone emitted short, powerful bursts of radio frequency signals.
Cheap or poorly shielded speakers were especially sensitive to this. The internal amplifier wiring acted like an accidental antenna, picking up those GSM bursts. When the signal hit the amplifier, it got converted into that familiar buzzing or clicking sound usually before the ringtone started.
So it felt like the speakers were predicting the call, but in reality, they were reacting to radio noise from the phone negotiating the connection. Once modern phones improved shielding and speakers got better electromagnetic protection, the effect mostly disappeared.
It’s a perfect example of how everyday electronics can unintentionally reveal what’s happening behind the scenes; not magic, not surveillance but just physics doing its thing.