Apple Developing These 5 New Satellite Features for iPhone

7 hours ago 2

Apple is moving connected a bid of caller outer connectivity features for the iPhone, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.

In this week's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman revealed that the caller features successful improvement include:

Apple Maps via satellite: Navigation successful Apple Maps without cellular oregon Wi-Fi connectivity.

Photos successful Messages via satellite: Support for sending photos successful the Messages app utilizing outer connectivity.

Natural Usage: Satellite connectivity from indoors environments, without the request to physically constituent the instrumentality toward wide sky.

Satellite implicit 5G: Support for 5G NTN, allowing compartment towers to usage satellites for accrued coverage.

Satellite API model for third-party apps: An API that volition let developers to voluntarily integrate outer connectivity into their apps. Not each features and services volition beryllium compatible.

There seemingly nary plans to alteration telephone calls, video calls, oregon web browsing via outer astatine present.

Today, Apple's outer connectivity features are disposable for free. For much precocious capabilities successful the future, Apple reportedly plans to fto customers wage outer carriers for features directly.

Apple could besides make a paid enactment for extended connectivity with a institution similar SpaceX. Gurman added that determination person been discussions successful the institution astir offering its ain outer service, but concerns that Apple shouldn't enactment similar a bearer person stifled that possibility.

Many of the caller outer features successful improvement volition seemingly necessitate upgrades to Globalstar's infrastructure, which Apple helped to finance. Gurman said that if SpaceX acquires Globalstar, the indispensable enhancements could rotation retired faster.