Starting from the iPhone 18 series, Apple has adjusted its product release rhythm.Only the iPhone 18 Pro series and iPhone Fold will be released this fall, and the iPhone 18 standard version will be unveiled next spring.According to media reports,Apple is negotiating cooperation with SpaceX, hoping to use SpaceX’s low-Earth orbit Starlink network to provide satellite communication services for the iPhone 18 Pro series models.Users do not need additional hardware to use this feature.
Well-known technology reporter Mark Gurman once revealed that the iPhone 18 Pro is expected to support 5G non-terrestrial network technology, which allows mobile base stations to expand signal coverage using satellites. To this end, Apple plans to launch a set of application programming interfaces to facilitate third-party developers to integrate satellite communication functions in their applications.
It is worth mentioning that SpaceX has just received authorization from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to deploy up to 15,000 second-generation Starlink satellites. This means that the company can launch approximately 7,500 new satellites at this stage, bringing the total deployment of second-generation Starlink satellites to 15,000.
After obtaining this authorization, SpaceX has further consolidated its leading position in global commercial satellite communication services, and it is natural for Apple to want to cooperate with it.
Currently, iPhone already supports satellite communication services, and the service provider is Globalstar.Users who use the emergency help function in areas without cellular network coverage can use satellite communications to contact the outside world.
If the iPhone 18 Pro can be directly connected to the Starlink network, it will greatly expand the communication boundaries of Apple mobile phones and bring users a more convenient communication experience.
