Siri is rumored to be getting an overhaul next year as part of a wider AI features initiative inside Apple. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today posits that this goal may also be having implications on hardware design, in a post on his Medium blog.
Kuo says that all iPhone 16 models, expected to arrive in fall 2024, will feature significantly upgraded microphone hardware. The new mics will pick up the user’s voice better, helping improve the accuracy of dictation and Siri voice commands.
The new microphones will sport a much improved signal-to-noise ratio. Naturally, dictation algorithms perform better when their input audio signal is clearer with less interference. The new mics will also have better water resistance, according to Kuo.
Outside of AI-related applications, a new mic could also improve the iPhone experience for customers in obvious ways like clearer audio in videos recorded in the Camera app, better voice call quality and the like.
Kuo says the new microphone component will be manufactured by suppliers AAC and Goertek. The improved specifications will see the cost of these components double, if not more, compared to the iPhone 15 microphone.
The iPhone 16 lineup will debut next fall, likely in September like every previous iPhone launch in recent memory. The rumor mill is still in its early stages, but we can expect a similar lineup of four models, each with slightly larger displays this time around, possibly haptic buttons, and improved cameras. There has also been some talk of Apple moving the Face ID sensors underneath the display on the Pro phones, which would result in a smaller Dynamic Island cutout.
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