Top analyst: Apple tested feature missing from iPhone 13 on the new models before mass production

One of the many rumors related to Apple's "Far Out" space-themed invitation for this year's iPhone 14 unveiling event is that the invitation was a clue that the new handsets will offer satellite connectivity. This feature was bandied about exactly one year ago today when TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that a custom version of the Snapdragon X60 modem chip employed on the iPhone 13 line would be used to allow the 2021 iPhone models to support low-earth-orbit satellite communications.

While the Snapdragon X60 modem chip is indeed inside the iPhone 13 series, Apple never announced any features for the 2021 phones that required the use of satellite connectivity.

Apple could decide to offer wireless service via satellites but that might be a few years away. Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple had two uses ready for satellite connectivity on the iPhone. One is to allow iPhone users to send emergency texts in areas without cellular service. A new color for text message bubbles would join the iconic blue (iMessage) and green (SMS) as a message sent via satellite would be in a gray bubble.

The feature would also allow iPhone owners to call emergency services if they witness a catastrophe such as a plane crash or a boat sinking and cannot connect to a cellular network. Eventually, Apple could offer satellite connectivity for data and this would be another recurring subscription service for Apple's massive Services unit.

Well, if you've been looking forward to satellite connectivity for your iPhone, we might have some good news for you. CNET cites a fresh report from Ming-Chi Kuo who says that Apple finished testing satellite connectivity on the iPhone 14 models before the start of mass production. Kuo didn't mention any specific models but with the way Apple is sharply differentiating the Pro and non-Pro models this year, it would make sense to see Apple add some sort of satellite support for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

According to The Verge, Kuo notes that "whether iPhone 14 will offer satellite communication service depends on whether Apple and operators can settle the business model." T-Mobile recently teamed up with Elon Musk's SpaceX to create a satellite based emergency communication system that would work with smartphones that support 5G. AT&T and AST SpaceMobile are working on technology that will deliver broadband by beaming it to smartphones via a satellite.