The iPhone 12 became a massive seller thanks to the introduction of 5G, and now it seems Apple wants to up the ante by incorporating another new wireless technology into the iPhone – LEO satellite communications.
Apple will most likely officially unveil the iPhone 13 series in mid-September. Now, well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has addressed investors in a new letter. In it, he claims that the upcoming iPhone 13 models will have a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communication mode. This would allow an iPhone 13 user to send messages and make phone calls even if they are not within standard 4G/5G cellular coverage. As a reminder: Bloomberg first reported in a story in 2019 about Apple's investigations into using satellite technology to transmit data to iPhones. However, this is the first time we've read that such a feature could be integrated into the iPhone 13.
iPhone 13: Are there usage fees for satellite communications?
Kuo believes that LEO satellite communication will also be used in the future by the upcoming Apple AR headset, the Apple Car and other products could be used. The analyst further explains that the iPhone 13 series will use a specially adapted version of the Qualcomm X60 baseband modem chip. This chip will support communication via satellite, according to his sources. It remains unclear whether sending messages and making calls via satellite will only work with Apple services such as iMessage and FaceTime, or whether Apple will be able to transfer satellite communication to the standard cell towers at the other end. In addition, it remains to be seen whether satellite functions will be free, like GPS. The whole thing could possibly also be associated with usage fees. Whether Kuo will be right once again remains to be seen, of course, as always. (Photo by Javi Ruiz / Bigstockphoto)
