Kuo: iPhone 13 to get LEO satellite comms support — but maybe not

What you need to know

• A new Ming-Chi Kuo report suggests iPhone 13 could get new LEO satellite support.
• The feature would allow for phone calls and text messages to be sent without cellular signal.
• It's been suggested that talk of satellites could be wrong thanks to translation issues.

iPhone 13 could be gaining support for Globalstar-owned 2.4GHz spectrum instead.

A new investor note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that Apple is adding support for LEO satellite communications to the iPhone 13 models, but things might have been lost in translation.

According to the original report, iPhone 13 will gain support for the LEO satellite communications thanks to a customized version of the Qualcomm X60 modem that will power it. That would allow iPhones to communicate via satellites even when outside of cell tower range. The result would be the ability to make phone calls and send text messages without the need for a cellular connection.

However, it's been suggested that things might have gotten mixed up in translation, with PCMag's Sascha Segan pointing to Globalstar's 2.4GHz zone called b53/n53. He suggests that the customized Qualcomm modem inside iPhone 13 will allow it to connect to that zone rather than any satellites.

OKAY. I think I may have gotten to the bottom of this "iPhone 13 will include satellite connectivity" rumor, and it could be "iPhone Math" levels of game-of-telephone. The key: Globalstar.

— Sascha Segan (@saschasegan) August 30, 2021

Qualcomm's x65 modem supports b53/n53 but the x60 does not. However, the Qualcomm modem in the iPhones may be an ... erm, x60-and-a-half. In other words, it could be an x60 + b53/n53. This DOES NOT IMPLY TALKING TO SATELLITES. It's a ground based band G'star wants to enhance LTE

— Sascha Segan (@saschasegan) August 30, 2021

But ... you take b53/n53 connectivity, it becomes "iPhone has Globalstar" which becomes "iPhone has satellites" and here we are. New ground-based LTE/LAA band. Not satellites. @TechmemeChatter

— Sascha Segan (@saschasegan) August 30, 2021

The result would be a new ground-based LTE band rather than any iPhone connection to satellites, with Globalstar being the name that has caused confusion. It all makes sense, although we'll need to hang fire for clarification before we can be sure. It does seem unlikely that Apple could squeeze satellite communications into an iPhone without it leaking until a couple of weeks before it is due to be announced, however.

Satellite communications or not, iPhone 13 will still be the best iPhone Apple has ever sold. It isn't yet clear what the inclusion of b53/n53 could offer iPhone users, but hopefully we'll know soon enough.