Apple Is Working on Five New Satellite Communications Features for the IPhone.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a buzzword in the tech world in the past few years, but it’s distracted from other technological advances that arguably have a greater impact on your daily life. Take satellite communications, for example: for most of the history of cell phones and smartphones, losing a signal rendered your mobile device practically useless. However, with satellite communications, as long as you’re within range, you can continue making calls and sending text messages. This is great for both ease of communication and your security.
Right now, there are only a few companies leading the way in satellite communications, at least when it comes to consumer tech. T-Mobile is the only carrier pushing it , having partnered with Starlink to provide satellite service to its customers. But you don’t need T-Mobile for satellite connectivity if you have an iPhone: Apple is expanding iPhone connectivity to satellites starting in 2022, starting with Emergency SOS via Satellite (the ability to contact emergency services via satellite) and then rolling out general satellite messaging in iOS 18. Whether you have T-Mobile, an iPhone, or both, you can send a friend a text message while you’re away from civilization, as long as you have a clear line of sight to an overhead satellite. Amazing.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman , Apple has serious plans to expand the iPhone’s satellite communications capabilities.
Improvements to “natural use”
Perhaps most importantly, Apple wants you to be able to connect to satellites without a clear view of the sky. This is perhaps one of the biggest hurdles for this technology right now: everything works fine when there’s a clear path between your iPhone and the satellite, but if there’s something in the way, like a clump of trees or you’re inside a building, the signal may not reach you. The company is working on so-called “natural use” improvements that will enable satellite connectivity in a wider range of situations. Your iPhone might be in your pocket or you’re in your car, but it’s as if you were in the open.
Apple Maps via satellite
Once you can connect to satellites in more places, other new features will become even more useful. Among them is a new version of Apple Maps with satellite support, allowing you to use the app without Wi-Fi or cellular service. This is perhaps the feature I’d be most excited about: navigating in areas with weak or no signal can be a real nuisance, so knowing you’ll almost always be able to connect to Maps, even if your connection speed is slower than usual, would be a real relief.
Sending photos via satellite
Another area that will reportedly see some improvements is messaging: while text messages can currently be sent over cellular, Gurman says Apple is working on supporting sending photos via satellite as well.
Third-party support
It’s not just Apple apps and services that will benefit. Gurman says Apple is working on an API that will allow third-party developers to add satellite technology support to their apps. Apple’s own software may be easier to use, but it opens up opportunities for expanded support. Other navigation apps, such as Google Maps, could potentially connect to satellites in a similar way. If you prefer it to Apple Maps, you won’t have to use the iPhone’s built-in maps app when you don’t have a cellular connection.
More coverage for future iPhones
While this won’t affect current iPhone owners, the iPhone 18 will likely support 5G NTN, which allows cell towers to independently connect to satellites to expand coverage.
When will these features be launched?
Unfortunately, Apple can’t implement all these improvements on its own. According to Gurman, the company will need Globalstar, the company building the satellite infrastructure, to make the necessary hardware improvements. If that happens, the idea of ”dead zones” could become a relic of the first quarter of the 21st century.