iPhone 14 “satcom”: emergency message service?

One of the more-anticipated features of the upcoming iPhone 14 revolves around satellite communication. Some pundits think Apple may announce a deal with Globalstar or another provider to offer global satellite cell service. The “Far Out” title for the upcoming Apple event has stirred up conjecture about bypassing traditional cell carriers. It’s much more likely that both the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8 will offer a satellite-based emergency message service.

The iPhone 14’s expected Qualcomm Snapdragon X65 modem lets users send emergency texts outside of traditional cell phone coverage zones.

According to an Apple World Today source, Apple will announce an Emergency Message service. The service offers a way to text emergency services and contacts from anywhere on Earth. This adds a third communications protocol to Apple products in addition to SMS and iMessage. Emergency Message displays gray message bubbles and only allows very short messages. A user involved in a plane crash or fire would utilize the service to contact first responders via satellite.