{"id":81703,"date":"2022-09-29T12:13:18","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T12:13:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/how-spacex-and-apples-satellite-connections-compare\/"},"modified":"2022-09-29T12:13:18","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T12:13:18","slug":"how-spacex-and-apples-satellite-connections-compare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/how-spacex-and-apples-satellite-connections-compare\/","title":{"rendered":"How SpaceX and Apple’s satellite connections compare"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

At their Far Out event, Apple announced that satellite connectivity will be available on the iPhone 14 lineup. But a few weeks earlier, SpaceX and T-Mobile made an announcement that they will be bringing satellite-based connectivity to basically any 5G phone. So, how do these two services compare, is one better than the other, and should it affect your decision on which phone to go with?<\/p>\n

Cell phone satellite connectivity<\/h2>\n

Satellite communication is hard. There’s a reason satellite internet services like Starlink use a large a terminal on the ground and large antennas in space to connect with them. SpaceX and Apple have taken some very different approaches to offering satellite connectivity. With SpaceX and T-Mobile’s joint service, they will make use of hundreds of massive antennas up in space to send and receive signals from standard phones with just a normal 5G modem. This requires more advanced infrastructure up in space, but it has the advantage of allowing you to use your existing cell phone. <\/p>\n

Apple doesn’t have the same leg-up in spaceflight that T-Mobile does through its partnership with SpaceX, but Apple has partnered with Globalstar. Globalstar has existing satellites in orbit, which users can connect to with a new directional antenna in iPhone 14 line. This requires the user to aim the phone at a specific satellite to connect.<\/p>\n

Video: How SpaceX and Apple’s satellite phone service compare<\/h2>\n
\n