A recent report on the iPhone 13 said the new models will have a feature that other smartphones don’t: compatibility with satellite communications thanks to a new custom chip from Qualcomm.
Later, some telecom industry experts debunked these rumors, claiming they were simply new frequency bands for conventional cellular networks.
Now Mark Gurman of Bloomberg shed some light on this subject, stating that iPhone 13 will support satellite communications, but only for emergencies.
According to Gurman, satellite connectivity will be reserved for emergencies in places where traditional Wi-Fi and cellular networks are not available or not working.
Gurman says that while the iPhone 13 includes the necessary hardware to support satellite connectivity, the features won’t be released until 2022.
Apple plans to use satellite networks as an alternative for communications during emergencies in two situations: Send an emergency message or report an emergency.
Send an emergency message via satellite
Users will be able to send text messages to emergency services and contacts via satellite when there is no cellular signal. It will be integrated into the Messaging application as a third protocol.
The function will add a new color to the text bubbles that are seen in the app. Green is for standard SMS messages, blue for iMessages and gray indicates text sent via satellite.
SOS messages will be shorter. They will be sent to an emergency contact’s phone, even if do not disturb mode is turned on. In the future, the service will also be able to handle phone calls.
Report an emergency situation by satellite
The iPhone’s second satellite function will allow users to report major emergencies. This can include car accidents, transport accidents (plane, boat, …) and other disasters.
The phone will ask if the emergency involves a car, boat, plane, or fire. It will also carry specific information, such as a person falling overboard or a sunken ship. It will ask the user if he needs search and rescue services. In addition, he will ask you if there is suspicious behavior regarding weapons and if there are any injuries.
The satellite’s emergency function will also allow iPhone users to send location data and medical identification data. This will inform the emergency services of the person’s medical history, age, medication, height and weight. It also allows you to send notifications to emergency contacts.
Globalstar, Apple’s most likely partner
Kuo’s iPhone 13 report called globalstar as a possible Apple partner. The rumor sent the company’s shares soaring on Monday, 64% above the previous close.
Globalstar has said in previous statements that it has signed an agreement with an unnamed party to develop a new service. Apple was never named, but that company is believed to be Apple.
Finally, the report says that iPhones will use a special Qualcomm modem to connect to satellite networks, but also that Apple is developing its own custom cellular modems for the future.