Apple iPhone 13 might not need cell service for calls and texts, Here’s why!

In one of the more surprising future iPhone rumours we’ve ever heard, a new report claims that Apple may very well be releasing a revolutionary feature in this year’s device that will allow users to make phone calls and send and receive text messages – even if they’ve lost in the middle of nowhere with no cell service.

How does the Cupertino firm intend to do this? Satellites. These aren’t just any satellites; they’re LEO satellites, which means that, unlike typical geostationary satellites, which take 24 hours to orbit the Earth, LEO satellites only require an hour or two to complete a full revolution (or orbital period) around the planet.

This implies that if there were a large enough network of them floating over the globe, there would be no place on the planet where you couldn’t get a signal.

While we may typically ignore such an obviously ridiculous, out-of-left-field rumour, the news comes from the extremely accurate mouth of Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst who, according to AppleTrack, has a record of over 75% accuracy when it comes to his predictions on forthcoming Apple products.

How will Apple make this work?

You may have heard about LEO satellites from Elon Musk, whose SpaceX firm is in charge of Starlink, a commercial project including LEO units that Musk intends to sell access to all across the world one day. Starlink is now available for testing in a small public beta for residents of the northern United States and Canada.

Apple, on the other hand, will most likely collaborate with Globalstar, a company that has reportedly been working closely with Apple’s modem maker, Qualcomm, to develop the necessary technologies to allow a mobile device to communicate properly with LEO satellites, rather than using Starlink’s fleet of satellites to achieve their goal of texting even if you’re stuck in the middle of the ocean.

Instead of waiting for Qualcomm to release LEO compatible modems on their 2022 X65 processors, Kuo reports that Apple has instead bought a bespoke X60 chip from the firm that includes specifically fitted LEO compatibility.