New in OS X: Get MacRumors Push Notifications on your Mac

Resubscribe Now Close

Siri Held Back by Lack of Advancements in Microphone Technology

Thursday August 25, 2016 3:11 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Siri on Apple WatchServices like Siri, Cortana, and Alexa are being held back by a lack of advancements in digital microphone technology, reports Bloomberg, citing the opinions of several analysts.

While processors, camera sensors, and other vital iPhone components have evolved rapidly over the course of the last several years, the same can't be said for microphones. Digital microphones still have trouble focusing on filtering out background noise and clearly detecting faraway voices, impacting device listening capabilities.

With artificial intelligence growing in popularity, however, Bloomberg says manufacturers are scrambling to improve microphone tech.
"No doubt, there is an arms race," says Peter Cooney, an analyst at SAR Insight & Consulting. The big tech companies are thinking a lot more about mics than they have for the past few years. Since the 2012 launch of the iPhone 5, "microphone performance has not really improved that much," says Marwan Boustany, an analyst with research firm IHS Markit.
Apple and other companies who rely on microphones to deliver queries to smartphones and other devices are said to want technology improvements that will make them better able to distinguish voices from other sounds at longer distances.

In a recent interview, Apple SVP of software engineering Craig Federighi said that microphones have a big impact on Siri's ability to understand commands. "It's not just the silicon," he said. "It's how many microphones we put on the device, where we place the microphones. How we tune the hardware and those mics and the software stack that does the audio processing." He said Apple's expertise at combining hardware and software gives the company "an incredible advantage" over companies just working on AI with software.

In the same interview, Apple execs said Siri's capacity to interpret commands has reportedly improved greatly following the introduction of machine learning, but in practice, Siri still often fails to hear commands or misinterprets spoken words, mistakes that could perhaps be improved with better microphone technology in the future.

Siri has long been limited to iOS devices and the Apple Watch, but with the launch of macOS Sierra this fall, the personal assistant will expand to Macs. Siri also came to the Apple TV last fall with the launch of the fourth-generation set-top box.

Tag: Siri Guide
[ 127 comments ]

Top Rated Comments

(View all)

Avatar
Roadstar
41 months ago
Umm, how exactly is it a microphone problem when I can see a 100% correct transcription of what I just said, but Siri still fails to do anything useful with it?
Rating: 77 Votes
Avatar
patrickdunn
41 months ago
Really held back Cortana, Alexa, and Google.
Rating: 37 Votes
Avatar
macsrcool1234
41 months ago
No, Siri is just stupid.
Rating: 31 Votes
Avatar
GfPQqmcRKUvP
41 months ago

Umm, how exactly is it a microphone problem when I can see a 100% correct transcription of what I just said, but Siri still fails to do anything useful with it?


Exactly. Also, if industry-wide microphone technology is the limiting factor (and has stagnated since the iPhone 5) then how have Google Now and Cortana advanced so much while Siri remains close to useless?
Rating: 29 Votes
Avatar
Stuey3D
41 months ago
No Siri is held back because she is stupid, she can hear what I'm saying fine.

See my post in the iOS10 forum about how she doesn't understand a simple command to "play downloaded music" I mean the section is right there in the bloody app.
Rating: 23 Votes
Avatar
AppleScruff1
41 months ago
Siri's problems are a bit deeper than microphone technology.
Rating: 14 Votes
Avatar
Dilster3k
41 months ago
Yeah just point the finger elsewhere if you suck.

- Dictated perfectly by Siri



Rating: 13 Votes
Avatar
mattopotamus
41 months ago
Oh that's why Alexa can hear me from across a noisy room?!
Rating: 10 Votes
Avatar
GfPQqmcRKUvP
41 months ago

Apple holds back Siri from mining your data unlike Google and Amazon.


In the long run, Siri will come out ahead. The others mentioned lean heavy on scripted responses, work great until more complex requirements arise. In the short term the other guys may perform better. Apple's approach with improved input, better hearing, will quickly catch up and surpass the scripted responses. The turtle and hare or house of cards, Apple has a good solid foundation to be a leader. Wait a year and will see how it develops.


Keep telling yourselves this. Maybe pick up a phone with Google Now or Cortana. You really think Apple has a monopoly on AI/voice recognition competence over Google and Microsoft? Please.
Rating: 9 Votes
Avatar
rjohnstone
41 months ago

Digital microphones still have trouble focusing on filtering out background noise and clearly detecting faraway voices, impacting device listening capabilities.

They seem to be talking about distinguishing voices at a distance.
I can see issues with that, but that still doesn't excuse poor performance when the device is in your hand.
Rating: 8 Votes

[ Read All Comments ]