Apple’s next-generation self-developed C2 baseband modem will debut in the iPhone 18 Pro series this year and support 5G satellite connectivity. The news comes from the Weibo account "Dingjiao Digital", which stated that Apple's C2 baseband will support the NR-NTN (New Radio Non-Terrestrial Networks, New Radio Non-Terrestrial Networks) standard. This standard can refer to direct connection of mobile phones to satellites, or it can refer to providing backhaul links to operators through satellites, thereby extending network coverage to remote areas.
The tipster seems to suggest that Apple’s implementation path is more inclined to allow the iPhone to directly connect to satellites to obtain Internet access capabilities.
Rumors about the iPhone 18 Pro supporting 5G satellite connections have leaked before, but this is the first time that NR-NTN support has been revealed as part of the C2 baseband technical specifications. As early as last October, "The Information" reporter Wayne Ma reported that Apple plans to add support for "surface-independent" 5G networks, including satellite networks, to the iPhone as early as this year, which will bring complete satellite Internet capabilities to the iPhone. Then in November, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman quoted Ma's news in a report and said that Apple was developing a "5G-based satellite" solution for this year's iPhone, allowing the device to use cellular base stations to access satellites to enhance coverage when traditional networks are unavailable. Different from the "terminal directly connected to satellite" model suggested by Ma and this revelation, Gurman's statement is closer to the technical route of "satellite as operator network backhaul".
Gurman also mentioned that Apple is also developing a number of satellite-related functions, including opening up APIs for third-party applications to call satellite connections, satellite-based Apple Maps, and support for sending photos in satellite information. Apple is also said to want to eliminate the need for users to hold their phones up to the sky, allowing iPhones to maintain satellite connections in their pockets and even indoors. However, the development progress of these features is currently unclear, and there is a high probability that they will not all be implemented in the first wave of 5G satellite support this year. Really bringing these capabilities to market will also rely on Globalstar, which Apple currently relies on, to undertake a large-scale upgrade of its aging satellite constellation.
In contrast, Apple's existing satellite functions are relatively limited. It only provides emergency SOS, search and information, roadside assistance and other services through satellite on iPhone 14 and later models, and all require users to be in an environment with a wide field of vision and direct aiming at satellites. Previous reports have shown that the C2 baseband will be significantly stronger than the current C1 and C1X in terms of capabilities. For example, it is expected to support millimeter wave 5G and be closer in performance to the Qualcomm modem chip it is intended to replace. It is worth mentioning that the leaker "Fixing Focus Digital" has previously accurately revealed in advance that Apple's next-generation iPhone SE successor model will be named "iPhone 16e", and its news has enhanced the credibility of this revelation to a certain extent.