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The rumors are getting closer to confirmation: the iPhone 14 (and Apple Watch) could arrive with satellite connections for areas without mobile coverage.
Mobile phone operators are increasingly further expanding their networks Worldwide. With the arrival of 5G, more and more people take the opportunity to improve their telephone antennas, but it is true that it is inevitable to find certain situations in which network coverage is not available. For example in remote rural areas, roads not too busy or even mountainsit is common to have problems accessing the mobile network.
In these cases, in addition to not being able to access the Internet, in the event that no operator (whether or not we are customers) has a nearby node, it will also not be possible to contact the emergency services. This can be a serious problem if you have an accident, and that is why Apple seems to be working to remedy this situation.
The iPhone 14 and Apple Watch could make satellite calls in emergency situations
As we mentioned, it seems that among Apple’s plans for its next great phone would be to incorporate the possibility of calling via satellite. At present, there are already devices that allow this type of connection, but what those from Cupertino are looking for is that any user who is in a emergency situation can ask for helpregardless of your geographic location.
Apple would use satellites to guarantee communications from the iPhone 14
According to information advanced by analyst Mark Gurman, and which was shared on iPadizate, there is a possibility that Apple has already contacted the company globalstarso it seems that a “tech giant” has made a significant investment in the company: There have been signs of late that Apple and its apparent satellite partner Globalstar Inc. may be getting closer to launching such a feature. In February, Globalstar said it reached a deal to buy 17 new satellites to help power “ongoing satellite services” for an unnamed “potential” customer who had paid it hundreds of millions of dollars. Is that client Apple? We’re probably less than six months away from finding out.”.
At the moment, little is known about how Apple will introduce this type of technology in its devices. Probably at a technical level it is required more space for the antennas that will allow to connect with the satellites, so it would make sense that it was only offered in some models of the iPhone 14 and the new Apple Watch. For example, it could be reserved for ‘Pro’ versionsalthough these decisions will probably not be known until the presentation of the new products, which will probably take place in the month of September.
Emergency features will only work in areas without mobile coverage and only in select markets. Apple envisions eventually deploying its own array of satellites to transmit data to devices, but that plan is likely years away from getting off the ground.
Call to 112 and other emergency telephone numbers will be possible even without coverage with the iPhone 14 and the satellite connection
In addition, another factor that must be taken into account is the cost of the different satellites and their maintenance, beyond the inclusion of the corresponding antennas in the iPhone. It would not be surprising if it were necessary some type of subscription to be able to use this service satellite emergency calls. Currently, Apple already offers subscription services such as iCloud+which in addition to cloud storage includes other services such as PrivateRelay.
A new improvement of the iPhone 14 is filtered that would make a big difference with previous models
However, it is essential to bear in mind that it is not yet known when Apple plans to integrate this type of connection into the iPhone. Some analysts suggest that it will be with the next iPhone, but it is also true that It is not the first time that we see rumors of this style within the panorama of those of Cupertino. What’s more, they could even be related to other types of devices, especially if we take into account details such as the fact that the iPod has come to an end and very soon there will be a new free space in Apple stores.
Related topics: Technology
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