Apple Satellite Messaging Service Said to Debut at iPhone 14 Event: Rumour

According to Tim Farrar, a satellite communications consultant at the research firm Telecom, Media and Finance Associates, the iPhone 14 might finally bring Apple’s long-awaited satellite connectivity feature to market (via MacRumors).

Apple has been rumoured to add satellite connectivity for emergency communication to the iPhone since last year’s iPhone 13 lineup. The feature never made it into the iPhone 13, but recent reports suggested it could be ready in time for this year’s iPhone.

Apple could showcase its emergency satellite communication functionality at its iPhone 14 launch event, dubbed “Far Out,” on September 7.

If true, Farrar speculated that SpaceX and T-Mobile’s Thursday announcement of a new satellite-powered global cellphone service slated to launch next year was likely meant to beat Apple to the bunch.

But given how many half-formed concepts were put forward, the only possible conclusion is that this was designed to pre-empt next week's Apple announcement of their own free messaging service with Globalstar. That should begin as soon as the new phone is released (4/n)

— Tim Farrar (@TMFAssociates) August 26, 2022

Some have even taken the September 7 event’s name and starry sky branding as evidence of a possible satellite connectivity announcement.

Farrar expects Apple to partner with Globalstar for satellite connectivity on the iPhone. TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo last year also floated Globalstar as Apple’s most likely partner.

Earlier this year, Globalstar announced the acquisition of 17 new satellites to provide “continuous satellite services” to an anonymous “potential customer.”

Farrar added that Apple’s emergency satellite service will be available for free but will only offer two-way messaging at launch. It will use existing satellite spectrum, requiring no rule changes from the U.S. FCC.

Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman previously claimed that iPhones would need a dedicated modem chip for satellite connectivity. This would mean that the new feature will only be supported on the iPhone 14 lineup and future generations. In comparison, the upcoming SpaceX/T-Mobile service will work with most existing smartphones.

Whether or not Apple’s satellite communications service will be available outside the U.S. remains unclear. But if the feature really is coming to the iPhone 14, it won’t be long before we find out.

Apple is expected to scrap the iPhone mini this year. Instead, the iPhone 14 series will comprise a 6.1-inch iPhone 14, a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 “Max,” a 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, and a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Tune in to our coverage of Apple’s iPhone 14 launch event on September 7. Mark your calendars, folks!