A hint was dropped by a renowned analyst that iPhone 13 could support LEO (low-earth-orbit) satellite communication, allowing users to communicate via messages and phone calls even when cellular coverage is unavailable. Being such a unique addition, it comes with its own set of limitations. It has been reported that iPhone 13s sold in certain markets might not get to see this feature from Apple.

As per the reports, the emergency satellite feature is only going to work in areas that do not have a cellular presence and is further narrowed down to only a few countries. Even though apple envisions deploying more of its satellite to democratize satellite communication, it is still years away. It has been further clarified that there’s no way it can be used as a satellite phone to make calls anywhere in the world without cellular coverage now. It’s only a thing for the future.

iPhone 13 pro

Having this feature onboard is a tedious task and requires hardware that isn’t quite ready yet and therefore, will have its own high costs. Also, this will certainly ignite a revolt between mobile carriers and Apple.

Apparently, Apple is working on two ways in which this feature could be integrated, one is to transmit short emergency text and the second is to send SOS distress signals, initially via iMessage, to contact either an emergency service or close friends without any cellular signal during a crisis, for example, in a plane crash or a sinking ship. This will eventually be extended to phone calls as well.

This, however, is going to be a little slow and may take a minute or two to get a signal, and will require iPhone 13 users to be outdoors to make use of the LEO satellite communication feature.

iPhone 13 lineup is expected to be officially unveiled in September, and we are yet to find if Apple will introduce this feature for sure.

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