According to Tianfeng International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is indeed developing satellite communications for the iPhone 14 / Pro series and has completed hardware testing of this function before mass production.
[Analysis] Survey updates for rumored’s iPhone 14 support for satellite communication / 傳聞中的iPhone 14支持衛星通訊的調查更新 @mingchikuo https://t.co/7MGLeTAtAo
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) August 29, 2022
The increased frequency of natural disasters and geopolitical conflicts in recent years may make emergency text/voice services via satellite communications a must-have feature on smartphones.
Kuo said that Apple has hardware support for satellite connectivity, but whether the iPhone 14/Pro series supports satellite communications depends on "whether Apple and operators can solve the business model " issue. The Apple iPhone 13/Pro series also has satellite hardware, but connectivity is not implemented because "the business model has not yet been negotiated."
It's hard to predict exactly when the iPhone will offer satellite communications, but Ming-Chi Kuo believes it will eventually happen, and the carrier most likely to partner with Apple for satellite communications is Globalstar.
In addition, Ming-Chi Kuo broke the news that Huawei's new Mate 50 / Pro series, which will be released on September 6, may provide emergency SMS services through satellite communications supported by the Beidou system.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in the Power On newsletter that the next-generation rugged Apple Watch Pro may have satellite connectivity.
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