iPhone 16 Will Feature a Much Better Mic for An Improved Siri (and AI) Experience

We have officially reached that stage in AI popularity, where it’s no surprise that it could change the way we interact with our phones. We just saw that happening with the Google Pixel 8 Pro with the recently revealed Gemini AI model. Of course, Apple had to catch up, too. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo published a Medium article today in which he made a couple of AI-related predictions about the upcoming iPhone 16.

One of his first predictions—this is more like a clue that points towards an approaching development—is that Apple made significant changes to its Siri team in the fall of 2023 to integrate AIGC (Artificial Intelligence Generated Content) and LLM (Large Language Model) teams.

This clearly means that the next flagship iPhone might feature advanced AI capabilities and also points to the fact that there’s going to be a strong focus on voice input for powering those AI features. This is probably why Apple has devoted time and resources to enhancing Siri’s specifications.

Some more insider info that hints at an imminent advancement is that according to the results of a survey that Kuo recently conducted, all versions of the iPhone 16 “will feature a significant upgrade in microphone specifications.” The team is working on improved water resistance, with a better signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) being the second. Kuo goes as far as to say that advanced AI capabilities built into Siri might be the key selling point of Apple’s upcoming phone.

According to Kuo, AAC, and Goertek are the iPhone 16’s mic suppliers. And all the upgrades the mics are about to get will considerably raise their average selling price — “at least 100–150% higher than that of the iPhone 15“, says Kuo.