Elon Musk shared that Apple and SpaceX have had a few conversations about Starlink connectivity for iPhones. Apple might want to bring Starlink services to its users, as hinted by a new feature on the recently announced iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.
Apple recently released a short video about the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. The latest iteration of the iPhone includes a feature called SOS via satellite. Apple’s new feature allows iPhone users in remote locations “to communicate with satellites with Emergency SOS.”
People who follow SpaceX Starlink’s progress and watched Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro video might have linked the SOS feature with the satellite service. Elon Musk hinted at a possible collaboration between SpaceX and Apple in a recent tweet, seen below.
SpaceX’s Mission to End Dead Zones
Apple’s SOS feature would do well with SpaceX’s Starlink satellites. Just last month, SpaceX and T-Mobile announced a plan called Coverage Above & Beyond that would provide text coverage to users in dead zones.
Coverage Above & Beyond will take a slice of T-Mobile’s mid-band PCS Spectrum and integrate it into Starlink satellites set to launch next year. The service will enter beta next year, starting with text, MMS, and select messaging apps.
T-Mobile’s Starlink-connected plan would provide service to users in the continental US, Hawaii, parts of Alaska, and Puerto Rico, as well as territorial waters at first. SpaceX also wants to collaborate with other carriers worldwide on similar plans.
Check out Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max video below!
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I enjoyed the examples you provided. They really helped me grasp the concepts.