Tim Farrar, a satellite communications consultant at California-based research firm Telecom, Media and Finance Associates, said that Apple may announce a new feature for the phone next month.
Farrar said that T-Mobile's and SpaceX's announcement yesterday was likely intended to pre-empt Apple's announcement of its own satellite service for the iPhone. Apple is holding a media event at Steve Jobs Theater on September 7 and the event's "Far Out" slogan has fueled speculation about a satellite announcement.
Globalstar announced in February that it had acquired 17 new satellites to provide continuous satellite services to a potential customer.
Farrar said that Apple's service will be free for two-way text messaging only at launch and will use existing satellite spectrum. T-Mobile and SpaceX plan to use T-Mobile's mid-band 5G spectrum, but they will face regulatory hurdles around the world.
In December of last year, Mark Gurman reported that Apple was working on a satellite connection for their phones. Gurman said earlier this year that Apple was still working on the feature and that it could be ready for the phone later this year. According to Gurman, the feature would allow iPhone users to report emergencies to authorities and send short text messages to emergency contacts, as well as be available on a new Apple watch.
Gurman suggested that the feature could only be compatible with the newer version of the phone. T-Mobile said the majority of phones on its network would be able to connect to the satellites.
It is not known whether the feature will be limited to the U.S. or global. On September 7th, Apple will hold a media event. Pacific Time and MacRumors will have complete coverage of everything announced.
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