Apple Opens Doors to Its iPhone Audio and Video Testing Chambers

Apple recently invited CNET's Patrick Holland to tour its specialized laboratories in Cupertino where company engineers test and calibrate the iPhone 16's audio and video capabilities.

anechoic chamber cnet
Holland's visit centered on a long wave anechoic chamber, where walls, ceiling, and floor are covered with foam wedges to eliminate echoes. The facility is used for testing the iPhone 16's four microphones, which despite their small size, are engineered to deliver professional-grade audio quality.

"The iPhone is such a ubiquitous recording device and gets used in so many different environments that we want to make sure that we're able to capture the memory that our users are trying to capture in the truest form," explained Ruchir Dave, senior director of acoustics engineering at Apple.

"The approach we took was to go after both quality as well as utility. And as part of that, we developed a novel microphone component that allows us to deliver some of the best acoustic performance in a phone product," said Dave. "At the same time, [we] developed a feature like Audio Mix that gives users the flexibility to be able to capture different sounds and gives you that creative freedom in the edit to adjust it how you like."

The testing process Apple uses includes a sophisticated array of speakers that play chimes while the iPhone rotates, creating a spherical sound profile. This data forms the foundation for features like spatial audio and Audio Mix, which allows users to adjust recorded audio to simulate different microphone types. In separate soundproof studios, Apple conducts comparative playback tests with multiple testers to ensure consistent audio quality.

The tour's highlight was a theater-sized video verification lab, where Apple engineers calibrate display performance across various lighting conditions. The facility features a massive screen that simulates how videos appear on iPhone displays, whether viewed in dark rooms, offices, or bright sunlight. For all the details, check out the full writeup over at CNET.

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Top Rated Comments

jayryco Avatar
17 weeks ago

We really need bigger image sensor and 8K video recording for the iPhone 17 Pros main camera system.
Maybe save up and buy a dedicated camera instead?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SnowPenguin Avatar
17 weeks ago
Very interesting chamber! I find the speakers of mobile devices have become very impressive on their own.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
17 weeks ago
Interesting behind the scenes stuff!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
17 weeks ago
Innovation is not dead at apple as some claim.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FlyingDutch Avatar
17 weeks ago

We really need bigger image sensor and 8K video recording for the iPhone 17 Pros main camera system.
Who cares about 8K at this point ?

"professionally calibrated"

"dolby theatre for perceptual video matching"

Yet the 16 pro screens are poorly
calibrated and too yellow

https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/apple-iphone-16-pro-display-yellow-tint-user-reports/
Nice try. The issue affects a very limited number of customers out of millions and millions of units sold
iPhone 16 display is reviewed as one of the very best on the market
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FlyingDutch Avatar
17 weeks ago

nope, it affects all units since iphone 12. some to a much greater degree than others.
Again, it is not true. There are a lot of reviews and technical analysis about iPhone display and they are top notch.
A batch of poorly calibrated units is another thing…
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)