iPhone 13 Might Let Users Make Calls Without Cellular Coverage

We’ve heard many of the rumored upgrades that the iPhone 13 could be getting, whether it be Face ID improvements, a display with a faster refresh rate, a new chipset, better cameras, and so on, and now it looks like we might be able to look forward to one more upgrade, which we think is pretty cool.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, his latest note to investors that was obtained by MacRumors, Kuo claims that one of the features of the iPhone 13 is the support for low earth orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity. What this means is that even in the event that you do not have cellular coverage, you should still be able to make calls.

Kuo claims that Apple is using a customized Qualcomm X60 baseband chip that supports satellite communications, and they will apparently be the first among the major smartphone brands to use it. The analyst claims that other companies are waiting until 2022 to adopt a similar feature.

That being said, this might require your carrier to have a partnership with a satellite company for this to work, which is speculated to most likely be Globalstar. It is believed that this is just the start of Apple’s plans for satellite as Kuo suggests that Apple could leverage the technology for use with other devices, like its electric cars, its mixed reality headset, and more.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Cellphones, Rumors
Tags: iPhone, iphone 13