iOS 5 with Nuance Speech Recognition Enabled in Carrier Testing - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iOS 5 with Nuance Speech Recognition Enabled in Carrier Testing


Voice input in Android

According to 9to5Mac, Apple has seeded certain mobile carriers with a "near-final" build of iOS 5. Most notably, these builds are different from the developer seeds we have seen so far, with the enabling of Nuance's Speech to Text as a system-wide service:

According to a source testing the feature, it works almost identically (video above) to the Android operating system’s speech-to-text feature. It’s also very polished, quick, and accurate said the source – which is obvious for being an Apple product but also is indicative of the product being nearly complete.

We'd previously reported on the microphone button that appears next to the spacebar hidden in the depths of iOS 5. This presumably allows users to dictate rather than type. Android has a similar system already implemented, as seen in the video above.

ios5
Reports of Apple's ongoing negotiations with Nuance date as far back as May, with some claiming it was still coming in iOS 5. iOS 5 is due for public release "this fall".

If all true, Apple must be planning on launching their Nuance dictation system alongside the public release of iOS 5. Apple is widely expected to hold a media event sometime this month.

Popular Stories

iPhone 18 Pro Deep Red Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching in Two Months With These 12 New Features

Friday July 17, 2026 10:39 am PDT by
It is now mid-July, and that means the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are now just two months away. The devices are expected to look similar to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but there will still be many year-over-year changes, with rumored features including a smaller Dynamic Island, 5G via satellite, and more. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, ...
iCloud General Feature Redux

Apple Raises iCloud+ Prices in 8 Countries

Friday July 17, 2026 11:56 am PDT by
Apple has increased the price of iCloud+ in Nigeria, Türkiye, Vietnam, Japan, Egypt, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Indonesia, according to an updated version of its iCloud support document. Price increases range from 11 percent to 55 percent depending on the plan and the country. Nigeria saw the biggest hike, and a 50GB plan is now ₦1,300, up from ₦900. Türkiye saw the next largest...
iPhone 17 17 Pro and Air Feature

Apple Raises iPhone Prices in Japan

Friday July 17, 2026 12:45 pm PDT by
After raising prices on all Macs and iPads worldwide last month, Apple has now increased the price of iPhone models in Japan. As spotted by the Spanish blog iPhoneros, the iPhone 16, iPhone 17e, iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max all received price increases on Apple's online store in Japan today. Prices increased by up to 11%. Model Previous...

Top Rated Comments

194 months ago
It would be sweet if the phone could listen and respond, so you could say "iphone where are you" when you lose it under clothes or whatever, and it would respond "over here"
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T-Will Avatar
194 months ago
It would be sweet if the phone could listen and respond, so you could say "iphone where are you" when you lose it under clothes or whatever, and it would respond "over here"

This comment wins the thread. :D
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
194 months ago
It would be sweet if the phone could listen and respond, so you could say "iphone where are you" when you lose it under clothes or whatever, and it would respond "over here"

Or "At a bar." would be useful as well.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
crisss1205 Avatar
194 months ago
What I want to know is how does this work? Is it going to require a internet connection like Android or will it be all device/local based?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bb426 Avatar
194 months ago
I think this is going to be the (one of the) big advertisement hit(s) for the iPhone 5, which magnifies the thought of an external redesign. Maybe I'll finally start talking to my iPhone.

I already see the commercials...
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
194 months ago
Meh

You talk into the phone, fills in the text, and hit send. The other person gets the text, they talk into their phone, fills the text, and they hit send. Why not cut out the middle man and CALL THEM!!!!!:rolleyes: ha ha
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)