Apple lags severely in artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC), especially regarding Siri integration. With the competition picking up steam in this category, it is not difficult to believe that the technology giant will bring some improvements to the iPhone 16 lineup, with one analyst predicting that all four models will ship with upgraded microphones, as it will help in voice and speech integration for triggering Siri and other AI-related tasks.
iPhone 16 microphone upgrades to benefit Apple’s suppliers too, as the average selling price (ASP) of these components is up 150 percent higher than the ones on the iPhone 15
Apple has reportedly reorganized its Siri team in the third quarter of this year to integrate AIGC and Large Language Models (LLMs) to future devices, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Since voice and speech input are crucial in enabling advanced AI-related functionality on iPhones without using any physical fingers to carry the same function, future iPhone models need to have upgraded microphones.
For the iPhone 16, Kuo states that Apple’s 2024 flagship lineup will sport this change but also mentions that it will cost the technology giant significantly more. Fortunately, on the flip side, it will benefit the company’s suppliers. The average selling price (ASP) of the iPhone 16’s upgraded microphones is between 100-150 percent higher than the iPhone 15’s, with supply chain partners AAC and Goertek reportedly benefiting greatly through its business alliance with Apple.
“AAC and Goertek are the microphone suppliers for the iPhone 16 (with a similar shipment allocation). Benefiting from the specification upgrade, the ASP of microphones for each iPhone 16 will be at least 100–150% higher than that of the iPhone 15. As a result, AAC’s and Goertek’s revenues and earnings are expected to benefit significantly from this upgrade. Given AAC’s smaller revenue scale, the company is expected to benefit relatively more.”
It is likely that the iPhone 16 SoC, which could be named the A18 for the base versions and A18 Pro for the premium versions, could support on-device LLMs, similar to what the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 supports at this time. Apple has also previously been rumored to be working on its ChatGPT-like chatbot, internally referred to as Apple GPT, so we could see a preview of this technology at next year’s WWDC keynote. In short, we expect the Cupertino giant to get immensely serious about AIGC in the coming months, as it does not wish to fall back in this race because its competitors will certainly not be taking a backseat.
News Source: Ming-Chi Kuo
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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