Apple Concluded Testing Satellite Communication Feature on iPhone 14 Ahead of Mass Production: Ming-Chi Kuo

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Apple's iPhone 14 series is expected to be launched at its 'Far Out' event on September 7. The rumored smartphone series has been subject to several leaks and tips ahead of the upcoming event. Now, a leading analyst has shared updates on a survey, which suggests that Apple has already completed hardware testing of the satellite communication feature on the iPhone 14 before it enters mass production. However, the analyst believes that Apple will have to negotiate a deal with satellite operators to offer the feature on its upcoming smartphones.

TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has shared updates on a new survey via Medium. According to Kuo, Apple has completed hardware testing for satellite communication support on the rumored iPhone 14 before it enters mass production. Still, its availability on the handset is still in question as Apple will have to strike deals with satellite operators.

Kuo said Apple had also developed satellite communications hardware for the iPhone 13, but it was not integrated because the company was unable to negotiate a business model with satellite operators. Therefore, the analyst believes that the availability of satellite communication services on the iPhone 14 will depend on whether the two can agree on a deal to offer the functionality.

The analyst added that the satellite communication feature on the iPhone 14 will likely only offer emergency texting and voice services. Kuo also said that satellite communication will become a must-have feature for smartphones in the future. Although, the analyst cannot predict exactly when and if iPhone models will get this feature, he believes that Apple's smartphones will eventually offer satellite functionality.

Kuo added that Apple may have partnered with a satellite operator called Globalstar. In the satellite communications ecosystem, operators like Globalstar have the highest barriers to entry, the analyst said.

Apple recently announced that the company will host a 'Far Out' launch event on September 7. During the event, Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 14 series as well as other Apple products, including new Apple Watch and iPad models, according to previous reports.