Terrestrial wireless providers up to this point have been a necessary part of the smartphone equation, but that could all change starting with Apple’s next iPhone.
Recap: Satellite-based telephones, or sat phones, have been around for decades. Globalstar, for example, has been operating commercially since 1999. Up to this point, however, sat phone usage has largely been limited to remote regions of the globe that are out of range of traditional cell towers. Terrestrial wireless providers up to this point have been a necessary part of the smartphone equation, but that could all change starting with Apple’s next iPhone. Renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a recent note to investors viewed by MacRumors said the iPhone 13 family will ship with hardware that allows them to connect to low earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
