This snapshot compares word error rate (WER) and time to first character across iPhone 12 to 15 models.
Method
- Passage length: 150 words, general vocabulary, American English.
- Environments: quiet room and light cafe noise around 55 dB.
- Runs: three per device per environment.
- Metrics: WER and time to first character.
Metrics
- WER: substitutions + deletions + insertions over total words.
- Time to first character: milliseconds until text starts streaming.
Highlights (preliminary observations)
These are qualitative notes from early internal dry runs. We’ll replace them with full tables after we complete more trials and inter‑rater checks.
- Newer devices tend to start streaming text faster in quiet rooms.
- Older devices show slightly higher WER but remain usable for notes.
- Light background noise increases WER; mic distance/angle matters.
Run this at home
You can reproduce a simple version with any recent iPhone.
- Pick a 150 word paragraph from a book you like.
- Stand in a quiet room. Record the paragraph once at a steady pace.
- Count mistakes by reading line by line. That gives you a rough WER.
- Repeat near a cafe or a kitchen with a fan.
- If your first characters take longer than a second, try Airplane Mode to rule out network.
- Try again holding the phone 15 to 25 cm from your mouth.
Notes on fairness
We use the same speaker and pace for each run. We avoid brand new devices and keep iOS up to date. We hold the phone in the same position and avoid background apps that might use the mic.
Full tables are coming once we finish more runs. For now, get better results today with dictation tips and mic positioning.