Apple is planning a feature for iPhones.
This should allow users to send messages in emergencies even without a network - possibly from the iPhone 13.
Cupertino / USA - The US company Apple has been working on the satellite capabilities of the iPhone since at least 2017.
Users should be able to contact emergency numbers and rescue services in emergencies even without a network.
The new iPhone 13 could already be equipped with the appropriate hardware.
This is reported by the
Bloomberg
news agency
, citing insiders.
iPhone: This is what the satellite function could look like
At the beginning of the week, the world-famous analyst Ming-Chi Kuo hinted at a connection between the new iPhone and the satellite provider Globalstar.
Experts put one and one together and suspected that it was a satellite function that Apple has been working on for a long time.
The function could possibly already be included in the next generation of iPhone.
She is expected in September.
Apple should essentially plan two functions: an emergency messaging function and the ability to report disasters.
Technically, the message function should be integrated as a third protocol - next to SMS and iMessage - and provided with a gray text bubble.
Users can send text messages to emergency services or emergency contacts, the text length is limited.
The message arrives on the telephones of the emergency contacts even if they are in "Do not disturb" mode.
Another feature provides that iPhone users can report disasters such as plane crashes and sinking ships without a network.
The phone then asks for various details, such as whether special search parties are required.
The emergency function may also be expanded to include calls in the future.
Apple rumors: when can iPhone users use the new feature?
It is currently going well financially for Apple.
The company founded by Steve Jobs is not resting on it: Apple boss Tim Cook is planning to set up its own satellite network in the future.
The technology group is currently still working with existing providers.
According to
Bloomberg
, Garmin inReach, where users can also send short messages or emergency calls via satellite networks, is
a direct competitor to Apple's satellite
function.
Apple is unlikely to offer satellite emergency calls in all countries.
The function can usually only be used outdoors and the connection to the satellites can take up to a minute.
Customers will probably have to wait until next year before they can actually use the new feature, an insider told
Bloomberg
. Details could be given at the presentation of the new iPhone in mid-September. Apart from the satellite function, consumers can expect an updated Face ID system as well as a faster processor. The camera and software are also said to have been upgraded.
