phones with built in satellite communication?

[Jerry Adams]

https://appleinsider.com/articles/21/08/29/iphone-13-will-support-satellite-communications-says-ming-chi-kuo

speculates that new iphone will have built in satellite communication

then other phones will follow?

this would be better than an Inreach.  I wonder what the subscription fee would be.

[John S.]

I will guess any new satellite function will be data only and not voice?

[Matthew / BPL]

Yes please.

[Rex Sanders]

Don’t believe most things you read on AppleInsider about future products. That story doesn’t even link to the original report, and there are so many weasel words and indirections (“chip that Apple is predicted to be using,” “He bases this on Qualcomm’s work with Globalstar”) that I’m sorely tempted to call bullpucky. Especially if Globalstar is involved, with ancient technology and a business model teetering on bankruptcy for years.

I’ve lost track of the number of new sat comm companies that made big splashes, then sank without a trace. Can’t remember the name of one of the latest, which planned to launch a gazillion satellites (naturally) truly acting as cell-phone towers in the sky, using the same frequencies. Good luck getting THAT past AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, and through FCC approval, plus dozens of other countries. And some of the world’s most populous nations have no interest in unfettered Internet access, shrinking the market further.

The physics of voice, data, or SMS between a smartphone and a satellite is very, very challenging. There used to be (haven’t checked in a while) a few devices you could attach or pair with a smartphone for satellite voice. They were larger, with extending antennas, heavier, and had yet another battery to keep charged. Less than ideal for backpacking.

I’ve been following satellite communications for decades, and wrote three BPL stories on the topic in 2013. (One, two, three). Except for some newer gadgets and the demise of one system, not much has changed. It still costs way too much money and time to build, launch, and operate satellites, whether big or small, to serve a shrinking percentage of the population that doesn’t have cell service.

Somebody will post “But what about Starlink?” That system is (currently) designed for relatively big, power-hungry ground terminals that would hardly work for lightweight backpacking. Musk will need to pull another rabbit out of the hat to make Starlink work on normal smartphones.

Sorry for the rant. I read too much baloney from this industry on a regular basis.

— Rex

[DWR D]

Gawd, I hope not… dread the day that I am hiking along and have to listen to people jabbering on their phones while they clog the trails… and tops of peaks…

 

[Matthew / BPL]

Yes that is a nightmare.

I just like the idea of leaving the InReach at home.

[BlackHatGuy]

The Iridium Go! is still around, I think. It was rather fun reading through that thread … the more things change….

[John S.]

“There are at least two emergency features that will rely on satellite networks, and while satellite technology has been in the works for years, these capabilities are not likely to launch in 2021.

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.”

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

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-30/apple-plans-to-add-satellite-features-to-iphones-for-emergencies

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

This would be cool, but I can’t really see it happening because a huge portion of their customer base wouldn’t need it yet they’d have to add the cost/weight to every phone. It seems like we’d see it appear first on more of a niche ‘outdoor adventurer’ phone and then maybe down the road it would go mainstream enough.

[Rex Sanders]

Many news sites, including Appleinsider, are rapidly walking back that story. Seems the original analyst didn’t understand the difference between Globalstar terrestrial frequencies and satellite frequencies, among other problems. And in the rush to publish click-bait headlines, a bunch of other reporters didn’t check either.

Always believe everything you read on the Internet. Or not.

— Rex

My dad worked in the newspaper industry. For many years he said that “the Government wouldn’t let us publish a story unless it was true.” I was a young adult before I realized he was pulling my leg.

[Luke Schmidt]

I hope not. I like the InReach. I can communicate if I have to. But its hard enough I save it for emergencies or really important stuff.

[Bruce Tolley]

The coverage of Apple products by the socalled tech news outlets is woefully inadequate.  They simply chase and repeat and recycle rumors until Apple releases a press release.

I looked far and wide for a technical analysis of the Apple M1 chip and found only repeated text from the Apple news releases and the photo Apple released.  In the end I had to rely on Wikipedia for a description of the PCIe and GPU interfaces.

[Author]

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