Apple Went to Great Lengths to Obscure its Speech Recognition Interface in iOS 5
Apple's latest iOS 5 Beta 5 contains the interface elements for their rumored upcoming Speech Recognition features. The screenshot below (via 9to5Mac) shows a microphone button found on the standard text keyboard in iOS. Pressing on the microphone button will bring up a microphone speech screen where you presumably start speaking.
Apple has long been rumored to be working on an intelligent assistant speech interface to iOS based on their Siri acquisition. This latest screenshot shows how the speech recognition can be called up from any standard text entry field.
![mic mic](https://images.macrumors.com/t/50GqaP6mY3g5nxloP8-CbRHg6Jo=/400x0/article-new/2011/08/mic.jpg?lossy)
We've confirmed that the above interface does exist (in dormant form) in the latest iOS 5 beta 5. Once activated, however, the speech interface isn't yet functional. Apple hasn't included all the pieces required to enable the speech recognition. Apple has been said to be in negotiations with Nuance to power the upcoming speech recognition technology in iOS 5.
But perhaps more interesting is that that Apple seems to have gone out of its way to keep it hidden from prying eyes. Apple's certainly aware that individuals comb through every new developer beta looking for hints of upcoming features. In this instance, they've obfuscated the names of various pieces of the interface. For example, calling the microphone button "forward delete key" and the keyboard pretends to be a "Dvorak" keyboard. The move is a reflection of the increased scrutiny of Apple's moves but also the relative significance of this feature that Apple has gone out of its way to hide.
Popular Stories
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...