It all started with the iPhone 14 and its satellite emergency SOS function. At the time, the idea was simple: to send a message to emergency services when no mobile network is available. Since then, Apple has expanded uses, such as roadside assistance, sending messages to loved ones, or even integration into the Find My app. But we always talk about a rescue service. Limited flow, sending short messages, obligation to aim for the sky… We are far from Netflix streaming at the top of a mountain.
From distress message to global connection
Behind the scenes, however, Apple would have a broader ambition: to ultimately enable a mobile connection via satellite, without depending solely on terrestrial infrastructure. The idea is not new. Several recent reports suggest a gradual evolution towards 5G via satellite.
Last October, the site The Information argued that Apple could integrate support for 5G networks as early as this year “ not attached to the surface of the Earth “. In November, Bloomberg for his part, mentioned a system allowing iPhones to rely on cellular antennas to access satellites when traditional coverage disappears. Two slightly different approaches, but the idea is the same: expand the range of the signal.
Today’s novelty comes from China. On Weibo, leaker Fixed Focus Digital, known for having revealed the name “iPhone 16e” in advance, claims that Apple’s future C2 modem will support the NR-NTN (“New Radio Non-Terrestrial Networks”) standard. Behind this acronym lies a key development: integrating 5G into non-terrestrial networks, notably low-orbit satellites. Concretely, this could allow a direct connection between the iPhone and a satellite to access the internet, and not just to send a distress message.
However, two scenarios must be distinguished. The first consists of using satellites as a simple relay to extend the coverage of operators. The second has more ambition since it would aim for a direct device-satellite connection. According to the leaker, Apple would lean towards this second option. However, the technical and commercial reality is more complex. Global 5G via satellite requires a dense network of compatible satellites and inevitably raises the question of Apple’s relations with traditional operators. In other words, the big night is not for tomorrow.
In the immediate future, if the iPhone 18 Pro inaugurates NR-NTN, we can expect a gradual increase in power: extension of existing uses, sending of heavier content, perhaps fewer constraints to capture the signal. Some rumors even mention the possibility of staying connected without having to point the device towards the sky!
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