
Gurman believes that providing private services may reduce Apple’s dependence on partners, especially as this technology becomes increasingly important. According to the report, Apple is working on five major improvements: developing a framework that allows third-party applications to take advantage of the iPhone’s satellite network; developing satellite-powered maps to provide navigation in areas where there is no mobile network coverage, without the need to download maps in advance; improving messaging services to include the ability to send images via satellite instead of just texts; improving the user experience to enable satellite communication from a pocket, car, or even from inside the house, without the need for a direct view of the sky; and integrating 5G NTN technology to enable future iPhones to take advantage of space communication to increase coverage range. (9to5 mac)