A few weeks before the announcement of the iPhone 13, there is hardly an area of the smartphone that has not been dealt with in the rumor mill. Another new addition, however, is an analyst's assessment that Apple will also support communication via satellites in addition to the cellular network.
In a letter to investors picked up by 9to5mac, the reports Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that Apple will support communication via satellites in low earth orbit (LEO, Low Earth Orbit) for the iPhone 13 family. If no cellular network is available, phone calls can still be made and messages such as SMS can be sent. The report does not reveal whether a data connection via the satellites will also be available.
Apple has been researching this since 2017 at the latest
The rumors about communication via satellites are not entirely new; they date back to 2017, when Apple is said to have spoken to Boeing for the first time about Internet access via LEO satellites. In 2019, the plans became more concrete when Bloomberg reported on a department at Apple in which several engineers from the fields of aerospace, satellite and antenna design are supposed to work on the project. At that time there was also talk of Internet services that could be handled via the satellite network.
Modified Snapdragon X60 should be used
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, an adapted Snapdragon X60 modem from Qualcomm will also be used for communication via satellites in the iPhone 13, which is to be offered again in four versions analogous to the current iPhone 12 family. In the Android environment, the chip is known from the Snapdragon 888 and Snapdragon 888 Plus, where it is integrated directly into the SoC. Apple's own A processors have always been independent and connected the modem via an external chip.
Fully packed Apple event expected
According to the latest rumors, Apple's next iPhone event will take place in the second half of September. The same design as before, but with a slightly smaller Face ID notch is expected for the iPhone 13. A 120 Hz display (only on the Pro) with always-on function, the A15 processor, new cameras and larger batteries are to be found. The Apple Watch Series 7 in 41 and 45 mm, the 3rd generation AirPods and a new iPad mini are also expected at the event. The new MacBook Pro 14 and 16 inches with mini-LED display, M1X and more connections will only be presented at a later event.