Apple has filed a patent titled “Apple Dual Concentric Spherical Microphone Array”, designed for AR/VR, film production, Vision Pro content and more.
The new Apple system is described as a 3D microphone system made of two concentric layers, featuring an inner sphere with microphones distributed evenly across its surface, with an outer shell fitted with microphones at each vertex.
Both layers create a multi-radius spherical microphone array designed for spatial audio capture across a wide range of frequencies.
MEMS microphones are used in pairs, while all microphones are positioned equidistantly front the centre for balanced sound capture. The outer frame can also be manufactured as a single unit using additive techniques.
The design allows Apple to capture sound with greater spatial resolution and frequency coverage than traditional microphone arrays, with the intention of creating an immersive audio experience.