Soon you could get in touch with friends and family from the wilderness without mobile signal, while sailing in the middle of the ocean, or even from space. According to well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the next iPhone (likely to be dubbed the iPhone 13) will include support for low-Earth orbit satellite calls and messages.
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The reports claim that the new iPhone could have a modified version of Qualcomm’s X60 chipset that can communicate with satellites. The question at hand is what kind of communication this would enable. Most of the apps and communication channels we use these days need a lot of bandwidth to work properly, and mobile satellite service is usually much slower than our cellular, 4G and 5G technologies.
The new Apple flagship phones are expected to be launched in September, although invites haven’t been sent out yet. There are also murmurs that we may only get ne Pro models this year, as the lesser models have not sold nearly as many units as the company expected. Again, we have no confirmation of this yet.
Back in 2019 new rumours surfaced through Bloomberg saying that Apple may be developing this communication capability, but the team in charge had hoped to ship a product with the capability within 5 years. The time frame seems tight for a brand-new technology in a cellular device, especially seeing as Apple tend to launch features later than other brands to make sure it is in line with the internal brand expectations.
If true, it would give the iPhone a “first” in smartphones for the first time in nearly a decade. It would be the first phone that offers connectivity from virtually anywhere in the world and could be a major selling point, especially for adventurers and wildlife lovers.
What do you think about the possibility of such a technology in a smartphone? Would it entice you to buy one? Let us know in the comments below.
