Bloomberg: Apple Working on Emergency Satellite Features for iPhones, 2021 Launch Unlikely

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/...for-emergencies

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/08/30/apple-emergency-satellite-features-iphones/

"There are at least two emergency features that will rely on satellite networks...

The first feature, Emergency Message via Satellite, is designed to let users text emergency services and contacts using a satellite network when there is no signal available, and it will be integrated into the Messages app as a third communications protocol alongside SMS and iMessage. It will feature gray message bubbles rather than green or blue, and message length will be restricted.

The second feature will let users report major emergencies like plane crashes and fires using satellite networks. It will be similar to a "911" call in the U.S. and can provide information like a user's location and medical ID, in addition to alerting emergency contacts."

Interesting! I'm curious to see how capable it will be. As satellite coverage improves perhaps this will a common feature to all comms going forward.

Very interesting. Several issues would have to be addressed.

1) Would the satellite comms feature use a different frequency range than the device can already use? My current phone is an iPhone 12 Pro, and it has at least five transceivers in it along with at least one GNSS* receiver. Adding another transceiver and likely another antenna would be a significant engineering challenge.

While software defined radio has come a long way and overcome a lot of technical hurdles, mobile antennas are always compromised if they’re to work over a distance of more than 100 yards, and the more frequencies a transceiver antenna is meant to work on, the more compromised it will be.

2) Which satellite communications system would it use? INMARSAT would seem to be ruled out by the article. This makes sense, as those satellites are low bandwidth and would need more power to connect with due to their orbits. Globalstar, Iridium and Starlink would seem to be the obvious choices.

3) How would “major” emergencies be distinguished from others? If I’m hurt in a car wreck, that’s a “major” emergency to me, even if it’s just another day at the office for the first responders.

4) Cost is a concern. Satellite texting service isn’t cheap. Starlink could be the obvious choice here, but the service won’t work for that— truly mobile Starlink communications are on the service’s roadmap but not available yet. I think most people would be unlikely to buy a more expensive service plan to cover rare satellite texting use.

Don’t get me wrong: This is going to happen, and I’m looking forward to it. But I’m thinking it will be several years before it does happen.



(* — GNSS means Global Navigation Satellite System, my iPhone supports systems operated by the USA, EU, Russia, China and Japan. Japan’s system is designed to work regionally. India also operates a regional system that my iPhone does not support.)

Good points!

I think I will stick with just paying for my Satellite phone.
It would be nice to have a smart phone that does Satellite as well. prevent having to lug around two phones at once.

It's an interesting angle, and has the potential to add value on a large scale. Assuming I would cough up the dough for an iPhone that could do this (big, big assumption), I don't know I would trust it with my life.

My skeptical side follows the technology dependence trend. How many people will assume this is an automatic link to rescue, and place themselves and SAR folks in jeopardy? Dunno, maybe I'm just being grumpy.

Speaking of grumpy, I'm not convinced that a whole bunch of twinkling rubbish messing up my view of the Milky Way constitutes progress. Hrrmph!

Can't help think that some people's definition of emergency is somewhat broad.

Like a flat tire, with a true sat phone at least they could call breakdown service direct. Only having an emergency call feature is going to lead to more non emergency calls.

This technical article thinks the rumors are a bit overheated:

No, The iPhone 13 Does Not Have Satellite Internet | Band n53 & Globalstar (GSAT) Explained

"Recently rumors cropped up that the iPhone 13 would support Satellite internet. The internet and Apple fan world went into frenzy with all sorts of speculations and tech media publishing many articles. Globalstar, a satellite services business, had their shares soar 90% from mid-August lows. SemiAnalysis is tired of hearing ridiculous fandom regarding satellite capabilities on the next iPhone, so we are going to lay out the technical details.

The source of this rumor is from Ming Chi Kuo, the best Apple supply chain analyst, but others have spun it out of control. The iPhone 13’s modem will support the n53 band. This is nothing by itself. The 3GPP, the standards board for 5G and other telecommunication standards has made it part of the evolving 5G standard. The 3GPP addition of this n53 band (11.25MHz of spectrum 2483.5MHz to 2495MHz) is not for explicit satellite connections, but because Globalstar is targeting it for terrestrial usage...."