After the publication of Ming-Chi Kuo about the possibility that the iPhone 13 could communicate via satellite there has been quite a stir and doubts about it. While some analysts called the report incomplete or erroneous, Mark Gurman has commented on the Apple’s plans to bring emergency communication to iPhones.
Communication yes, but only for emergencies
First of all, let’s put ourselves in context. Yesterday the renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo published a note to its investors explaining that Qualcomm chips in future iPhone 13s would be specially modified to support the n53 frequency of Globalstar, a satellite communication company. We later found out that this was a terrestrial frequency, which pointed to an improvement in 5G rather than satellite communication.
Although there could be some confusion regarding what movements by Apple show that the company is working on a satellite communication system, the truth is that Ming-Chi Kuo was on the right track. A few hours ago, Mark Gurman published information on Bloomberg about the company’s plans regarding the use of satellites in emergencies.
Two services with the same goal
According to the reporter, Apple is working on a communication system for iPhones via satellite, but only focused on emergencies. The first functionality resulting from this work is to send emergency text messages. It is a system with which you can send a short message to emergency services and contacts without the need for coverage mobile.
The system will be integrated into the Messages app as a new communication protocol, in addition to SMS and iMessage. To easily distinguish whats speech bubbles will be gray, instead of green or blue, and the length of the messages will have certain limits.
The second functionality will be be able to call to report emergencies. The service will be able to collect what type of emergency is occurring, including whether it involves cars, boats, planes, or fire, and also specific information about the situation. He will ask if it is necessary to notify search and rescue services, if there is a suspicion that weapons have been used and if anyone is injured.
Then this service will communicate with the official emergency services and you can provide the location of the person, their medical identifier and also information extracted from the health app, such as age, allergies, etc. Finally, the service will inform emergency contacts so that they are aware of the situation.
A service with availability subject to regulations
As reported by Bloomberg these services will not be available in all countries and will largely depend on local regulations and the location of the satellites. Connecting to the constellation of satellites can be somewhat complex, so future iPhones will incorporate a system that will prompt users to walk in a specific direction to help the phone establish the connection.
This service will require a specific modem to be able to connect with satellites. Going back to yesterday’s Ming-Chi Kuo report, Gurman claims that Globalstar’s competitors are not working with Apple, but neither does he claim that it is the chosen service provider.
Regarding availability Gurman believes that “It is unlikely that [estas funcionalidades] be ready before next year “Although the iPhone 13 may already “have the necessary hardware for satellite communications.” As it is a function still in development, it may change or be postponed without prior notice.
The possibility that, using an iPhone, a person can report an emergency or call for help from anywhere on the planet is something really very relevant. It seems that we will still have to wait to see its final implementation, but it is clear that, although it is a functionality that we never want to have to use, it will be of great value to have it available.
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