According to Bloomberg News reporter Mark Gurman in his latest "Power On" newsletterReportApple is actively developing a new series of iPhone satellite connectivity features, aiming to significantly expand its applications beyond Emergency SOS.
Five new satellite functions are under development, and APIs will be introduced to enable third-party apps.
The report indicates that new features being developed internally at Apple include:
• Apple Maps satellite navigation:It allows Apple Maps navigation via satellite signals when there is no mobile network or Wi-Fi (presumably including satellite transmission of map data).
• Satellite-transmitted photos (Messages):The existing satellite messaging function will be expanded to support the transmission of photos via satellite in the future, no longer limited to plain text.
• Natural Usage:The goal is to make satellite connectivity more seamless, such as enabling iPhones to connect to satellites even indoors, in a pocket, or in a car, without having to point the phone at the sky as it does now.
• Supports 5G NTN: It is expected that the 2026 iPhone will support 5G NTN (non-terrestrial network) more widely, allowing mobile network base stations to use satellites to extend their coverage.
• Satellite API framework for third-party apps: Apple plans to provide a set of APIs that will allow developers to "voluntarily" integrate satellite connectivity into their apps (but not all services will be compatible).
In addition, the report also mentioned that Apple currently has no plans to enable voice calls, video calls, or web browsing via satellite.
The future may see a shift to a paid model, and SpaceX's acquisition of Globalstar may accelerate the process.
Currently, Apple's satellite functionality is offered free of charge (it was previously announced that the free period for the iPhone 14/15 would be extended by one year). However, Mark Gurman points out that if more advanced features are to be offered in the future, Apple plans to allow customers to pay satellite operators directly.
Apple had also discussed the possibility of operating its own satellite service, but abandoned the idea due to concerns that it "should not play the role of a telecommunications company."
The implementation of these new features clearly requires upgrading the infrastructure of Globalstar, in which Apple has already invested $11 billion. Mark Gurman speculates that if SpaceX chooses to acquire Globalstar, the necessary infrastructure upgrades may be implemented more quickly.
