Latest news with #Globalstar
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
What Apple's Surprise Free Offer To All iPhone 13 Users Means Right Now
When Apple released iOS 18.5 (and we've just learned that there may not be an iOS 19 this fall), there were few new features. One that was there was satellite connectivity for iPhone 13 users — something nobody had been expecting. Here's what it means right now. Apple iPhone 13 series That's the feature which was introduced with the iPhone 14 series, and means that if you're in the great outdoors with no cellular connection, you can point your iPhone 14 or later at the sky and be connected to emergency services or car breakdown companies. Software in the iPhone knows your location and is able to spot the satellites passing overhead to guide you where to point. This service uses Globalstar satellites and can't be introduced to the iPhone 13 as the necessary hardware isn't on board. Instead of that, the new option for users of the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, this is 'carrier-provided satellite features,' as Apple describes it. This means that you don't need to point the phone at the satellite to make contact. It happens automatically and works even if your phone is in your pocket— this difference has been described as a 'game-changer' for its greater convenience. Services like these are more like conventional cellular connections and need the right plan to work. Right now, only T-Mobile has this capability, though other carriers will follow. It's not limited to the iPhone 13, or any other iPhone, and will work on Android phones, too. You need to have signed up to the T-Mobile Starlink beta, which runs until July, after which it will become a paid service — though included in some T-Mobile plans at no extra cost. Please note, unlike some reports suggested, Starlink is not installed on your phone.
News18
3 days ago
- Business
- News18
Apple's Big Satellite Tech Push For iPhone Has Slowed Down: Here's Why
Apple launched the satellite-based SOS message feature with Globalstar as the operator on the iPhone 14 model in the US. The company has since then offered the premium feature for free with the latest iPhone 16 models in the region. But it seems Apple's ambitions to take the satellite feature to other products and regions have reportedly taken a huge hit. And reports claim all this is because Apple said no to Elon Musk's company for a similar deal back in 2022 and from there, these plans had to take a backseat for varying reasons.
Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Here's Why Apple's (AAPL) Satellite Goals Are Under Threat
Back in 2022, Elon Musk made tech giant Apple (AAPL) an offer. According to The Information, Musk pitched a deal for SpaceX's Starlink service to power satellite connectivity for iPhones. He proposed an 18-month exclusive partnership for $5 billion upfront, followed by $1 billion in annual payments. He also warned that if they rejected the offer, he would launch a similar satellite messaging feature that would still work with iPhones. Apple declined and instead partnered with Globalstar (GSAT), which likely angered Musk and led to a collaboration with T-Mobile (TMUS) to offer satellite messaging services. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter It is worth noting that Apple had already been exploring satellite internet for years. Starting in 2015, the company launched 'Project Eagle,' a plan to deliver full satellite internet to iPhones and homes through thousands of Boeing satellites. The project was shut down by 2016 over financial and regulatory concerns, but Apple didn't abandon satellite plans entirely. It later partnered with Globalstar and invested more than $1.5 billion to expand satellite coverage for its Emergency SOS feature. Today, that feature is available in 17 countries and can handle emergency messages, location sharing, and roadside help. However, tensions between Apple and SpaceX have continued. SpaceX has tried to block Globalstar's access to key radio spectrum via regulatory filings, which could affect Apple's service. Separately, some executives at Apple question whether it's worth continuing the satellite project altogether due to its high cost and limited performance. Others also worry that charging users for the service could trigger new regulations, as it would classify Apple as a telecom provider. Is Apple a Buy or Sell Right Now? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating on AAPL stock based on 17 Buys, eight Holds, and four Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average AAPL price target of $228.22 per share implies 14.2% upside potential. See more AAPL analyst ratings
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Elon Musk's 72-hour ‘ultimatum' to Apple that may have put CEO Tim Cook in disagreement with his own team
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Elon Musk gave Apple CEO Tim Cook just 72 hours in 2022 to accept a $5 billion deal that would have made SpaceX the exclusive satellite provider for iPhones, or face competition from his own rival service. Apple rejected the offer, setting off a bitter three-year battle that continues to threaten the iPhone's satellite capabilities and has left Android users inadvertently grateful for Cook's defiance. The ultimatum came after Musk learned Apple planned to announce satellite connectivity for the iPhone 14 through partner Globalstar , according to a new report from The Information. SpaceX's proposal demanded $5 billion upfront for 18 months of exclusive iPhone satellite service , followed by $1 billion annually. When Apple declined, Musk made good on his threat, announcing a competing T-Mobile partnership just two weeks before the iPhone 14 launch, a deal that initially would have locked out Android devices entirely. Apple's satellite ambitions actually began nearly a decade earlier with the ambitious " Project Eagle ," a scrapped $36 million initiative that would have partnered with Boeing to launch thousands of satellites providing full internet service to both iPhones and homes by 2019. The project died due to fears of alienating carrier partners like Verizon and AT&T, who remain crucial to iPhone sales. SpaceX wages regulatory war against iPhone features SpaceX has since escalated the conflict through regulatory warfare, filing challenges to Globalstar's radio spectrum rights that could cripple iPhone satellite features if successful. The company accused Globalstar of hoarding unused spectrum to block competitors, specifically naming Apple in filings that reportedly alarmed Apple executives. SpaceX's vice president of satellite policy bluntly stated the spectrum battle "serves one purpose: to block competitive entry in frequencies Globalstar has never meaningfully used." The Information reports that Apple fears Musk's relationship with the Trump administration could give SpaceX advantages with federal regulators. This concern prompted Apple to hire dedicated staff to handle orbital spectrum issues and counter SpaceX's legal maneuvers. Industry analysts note that "SpaceX only thinks about Apple as a serious competitor and Apple only thinks about SpaceX as a serious competitor" in the satellite space. Adding to the pressure, Musk has demanded Apple broadly support SpaceX's T-Mobile satellite service across older iPhone models, a move that would maximize Starlink's market reach. Apple's reluctance to extend support beyond iPhone 14 models has further frustrated Musk, intensifying the standoff. When T-Mobile officially launches the service in July, compatible iPhones will default to Starlink rather than Apple's Globalstar solution, a final insult in their corporate feud. Apple executives fight company's own satellite strategy The satellite program faces fierce resistance within Apple itself, with senior executives including software chief Craig Federighi and corporate development head Adrian Perica reportedly pushing to kill the initiative entirely. Internal critics slam Globalstar's network as fundamentally inferior to rivals like Starlink, warning that even planned satellite upgrades won't meaningfully improve performance for a decade. Some former employees openly acknowledge that "SpaceX is ahead of Globalstar." The rebellion stems from fears that expanding satellite services could trigger federal regulation of Apple as a telecommunications carrier, potentially forcing the company to build surveillance backdoors into iMessage, a privacy nightmare for the company. Apple's refusal to charge for satellite features, despite spending hundreds of millions annually, reflects these regulatory concerns. The internal schism has created an unusual dynamic where Apple's own executives are betting against their company's multi-billion-dollar strategy, with some believing the satellite features should be abandoned entirely and left to carriers. Despite the internal revolt, Apple has doubled down with a $1.7 billion investment in Globalstar for new satellites, refusing to bow to either Musk's pressure or internal dissent. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
The Verge
4 days ago
- Business
- The Verge
Elon Musk reportedly approached Apple years ago about an iPhone / SpaceX satellite deal.
The Information reports that three years ago, Musk offered Apple an 18-month exclusive connection via SpaceX in return for $5 billion up front, and $1 billion per year after that to support satellite-connected iPhone features. If Apple didn't take it within 72 hours, he threatened to announce a competing feature. Apple went forward with Globalstar (the report also mentions a canceled 'Project Eagle' effort with Boeing that would've delivered full-blown internet service), and before the iPhone 14 launched, Starlink announced a deal with T-Mobile. Later that year, Musk and Cook met at Apple HQ to discuss Twitter's App Store presence, 'among other things.'
