Apple iPhone 13 may support LEO satellite connectivity

Apple is expected to host a special fall event in mid-September to unveil the new generation iPhone 13 series. Reports have indicated, iPhone 12 successor will not see many drastic changes in terms of design language, but internal hardware will see big bumps.

Now, new information has surfaced online. The upcoming iPhone 13 will be able to connect with Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite, MacRumors reported citing investor note of market trade analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo is particularly renowned for his accurate predictions on Apple products. It has come to light that the iPhone 13 will come with a specially designed Qualcomm X60 chipset that would allow the device owners to make calls and send messages even without a cellular network.

Instead of land-based telecommunication towers, the iPhone 13 will be able to directly connect with satellites orbiting in the earth's upper atmosphere.

Apple is said to partner with Globalstar to get permission for access to LEO satellites, which will further improve the user experience in terms of calling customers.

This will particularly come in handy during emergency situations while going out for a hike in hilly regions with low cellular coverage. People will be able to send an SOS message seeking a speedy rescue mission.

Kuo added that Apple has plans to bring this tech in new devices including IoT (Internet-of-Things) such as smart speakers. We may also possibly see it in long-rumored autonomous cars in the near future.

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