A highly-respected analyst is predicting that Apple’s upcoming new iPhone model may implement satellite connection technology.
Key details
Ming-Chi Kuo, who works with a Taiwan-based securities firm TF International, is predicting that the iPhone 14 will have satellite services.
The technology would allow the phone to connect to satellite networks in areas outside of cellular service range.
He’s claiming Apple will partner with Globalstar to make it happen, or that such a feature “will eventually happen” on some future versions of the iPhone.
“I learned that Apple had already completed the hardware development of satellite communication in the iPhone 13. The lack of support is because the business model had not been negotiated,” he wrote.
Why it’s important
Kuo is generally a very reliable source for predicting Apple’s decisions. He is considered “the Most Accurate Analyst in the World” in some circles based on his track record.
“In 2011 Kuo started a string of correct predictions with the delayed white iPhone 4 release in April. Other claims about the 2012 MacBook Pro with Retina display and Touch ID and more iPhone 5s details in 2013 were also accurate. More recently he correctly forecasted details about the iPhone SE as well as the Apple Watch Series 2 last year,” says tech blog 9to5Mac.
Kuo thinks that recent demands could make satellite connection a useful feature in the near future.
“The increasing frequency of natural disasters and geopolitical conflicts in recent years will likely make emergency texting/voice services via satellite communication a must-have smartphone feature. Whether iPhone 14 will offer satellite communication service depends on whether Apple and operators can settle the business model,” says Kuo.
Backing up a bit
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 14 at its annual Apple Event on September 7. It has held these events annually since 2012, but this will be the first in-person event held at its Cupertino headquarters since 2019.
The company is likely to announce four new iPhone models and an eighth-generation version of its Apple Watch.
“Apple is expected to announce four phone models, in both 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screen sizes. The new phones are expected to get a significant camera upgrade, a new processor in higher-end models, and a new design that replaces the old “notch” at the top of the screen with a new “pill and hole” design for front-facing cameras and sensors,” says Barron’s.
“Apple is considering a body temperature sensor in the new devices… which could help with fertility and sleep tracking. Other sleep tracking features could include the ability to detect advanced sleep patterns or apnea,” according to CNBC.
