Apple is buying 20 percent of its iPhone satellite services partner

Apple is taking a 20 percent involvement successful its iPhone outer connectivity spouse GlobalStar — a involvement worthy $400 cardinal — arsenic portion of an enlargement of its woody with the company. GlobalStar volition besides person a prepayment of $1.1 cardinal from Apple that is intended to amended outer infrastructure.

Apple relies connected GlobalStar’s satellites to alteration to nonstop exigency substance messages, iMessage reactions, and much done the skies successful areas with nary compartment signal. GlobalStar disclosed the details of the woody enlargement in an SEC filing, which includes “a caller outer constellation, expanded crushed infrastructure, and accrued planetary [mobile outer services] licensing.”

Apple launched its Emergency SOS feature connected the iPhone 14 successful 2022 and expanded it with iOS 18, enabling off-grid users to nonstop and person texts, emoji, and Tapbacks implicit iMessage and SMS retired successful the wilderness.

Apple intends to complaint owners for outer connectivity work astatine immoderate constituent but inactive hasn’t. Starting with the iPhone 14, Apple has offered entree to its outer features for escaped 2 years with your phone. But past year, iPhone 14 owners were fixed an other year, extending escaped work to arsenic aboriginal arsenic November 2025.