Before the iPhone 13 lineup announcement last year, reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple will support LEO satellite communications with the iPhone 13 lineup, which we didn’t see during the iPhone 13 launch event. Mark Gurman from Bloomberg also reported that satellite features will be included in “Future iPhones”. 9to5Mac reported earlier this year that the iPhone 14 lineup may bring satellite text communication, which we find to be likely announced at Apple’s Sept 7 event at Apple Park which was announced earlier this week.
In an exclusive, we reveal information regarding more on how this feature will work, and one of the companies Apple may be partnering with to help make it happen.
Apple is developing a satellite text communication feature to connect with emergency services for the iPhone 14. The feature is set to only work where cellular connectivity is not available and is designed for use as a last resort for emergency communication.
In a scenario on how this feature will work, the user can send a text message over satellite if they don’t have cellular connectivity. The message will be sent to a third-party dispatcher that is not managed by Apple.
The third-party dispatcher then will connect with emergency services depending on the situation sent to the dispatcher. Due to the nature of how satellite technology works, the message reportedly could take a while to send depending on the length of the message.
The service will likely be offered free of charge for two-way messaging with the dispatcher. It is unknown if there is a limit on how many characters can be sent. To keep in mind, this feature is designed to be used as a last resort for emergencies.
According to our sources, the third-party dispatch provider may depend on the region, but one of the companies that Apple is likely partnering with is Concentrix. The company currently provides dispatching services for OnStar, which supplies emergency services technology for cars in the United States.
Concentrix is a global provider of customer experience solutions and technology. The company has worked with clients such as OnStar, Google, and more.
Appleosophy discovered a job listing for an Emergency Services Representative posted on August 22. This is one of the positions at Concentrix that we believe will handle these emergency satellite dispatching services for the iPhone 14.
Here are several highlights that we noticed in the job listing that hints at this partnership:
- Experience working with a CAD (computer assisted dispatch) application is preferred
- This an Emergency Response Representative position is responsible for providing the highest level of service to individuals in an emergency or distressed state.
- Experience in emergency response and/or high stress emergency communication center environments is preferred
- Ability to assess and readily relay information accurately with high attention to detail, while operating various methods of communication tools is required
- Knowledge of regulations and compliance within an emergency services environment preferred.
- Open to flexible scheduling including days, nights, and weekends (This will be a 24/7 operation with 5 days on 2 days off scheduling)
- Emergency, Fire, Police dispatch experience is beneficial
The job listing is targeting an end-of-September 2022 start date around the time for the iPhone 14 to launch.
We believe that this feature will save many lives and we expect to see it announced at the September 7th event. Apple is rumored to announce the iPhone 14 lineup, Apple Watch Series 8, and possibly new AirPods Pro. What are your thoughts on this upcoming feature? Comment down below or find us on Twitter at @appleosophy.
Author: Holden Satterwhite
Founder of Appleosophy and Redfruit Media. Twitter: @hesatter
Great
Great article