iPhone 14 may have satellite connectivity

According to Tim Farrar, a satellite communications consultant at California-based research firm Telecom, Media and Finance Associates. Apple is likely to announce satellite connectivity feature for the iPhone 14 in the following month.

Farrar stated in twitter “T-Mobile's and SpaceX's satellite connectivity announcement yesterday was likely intended to pre-empt Apple's announcement of its own satellite connectivity feature for the iPhone in partnership with Globalstar”.

Globalstar announced that it developed 17 new satellites with the goal of providing "continuous satellite services" to a "potential customer," which might refer to Apple.The taglines like “Far Out and Starry sky” of a media event at Steve Jobs Theater on September 7 held by Apple points out towards the new satellite connectivity feature.

Farrar said Apple's service will be free of cost for two-way text messaging only at launch. It can use existing satellite spectrum, without any changes in the rules laid by FCC. By comparison, T-Mobile and SpaceX plan to leverage T-Mobile's mid-band 5G spectrum and support SMS text messages, MMS, and select messaging apps. As per Farrar, obstacles around the world are waiting for this determined method.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman had first mentioned about the working on satellite connectivity for iPhones in December 2019. This year, Gurman again stated that Apple was still working on the feature and said it could be ready for the iPhone 14 later this year. The new feature would allow iPhone users to report emergencies by sending short text messages to emergency contacts he added. He also pointed towards the possibility of its availability in smart watch.

While T-Mobile said the "vast majority of smartphones" on its network would be able to connect to SpaceX's satellites with their existing cellular chips, Iphones would require a spcial modem chip for satellite connection which might be able to work in only new Iphone 14 claimed Gurman.

Due to unavailability of any further details about Apple's supposed satellite connectivity feature, the exact features of this development are still unknown.  Apple's is going to be held on September 7 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time and MacRumors will bring the complete coverage of everything announced.