Apple announced its Emergency SOS via satellite feature with the iPhone 14 series in 2022 using the infrastructure of US-based satellite service provider GlobalStar. In a new development, Apple has committed $1.1 billion in a new deal with Globalstar to expand the capacity of the latter’s satellite infrastructure.
Additionally, Apple now owns 20% of Globalstar through a $400 million stock deal. These investments are expected to significantly increase Globalstar’s ability to handle satellite messaging requests from iPhone users.
Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite service initially promised two years of free service, but that was later extended extensive to cover another year. This means that iPhone 14 users will receive support from day one until November 2025.
Two-way satellite messaging on iOS 18
With iOS 18, Apple announced two-way satellite messaging via satellite when there is no mobile coverage. This feature is available on iPhone 14 and later devices from supported carriers in the United States and Canada. It remains to be seen whether Apple will charge iPhone 14 series users for access to satellite messaging after the free period ends next year.