Elon Musk says SpaceX, Apple had 'promising conversations' about iPhone satellite service

Elon Musk has revealed that his spacecraft engineering company SpaceX held discussions with Apple Inc. about employing Starlink connectivity for the next iPhones.

According to Musk, their conversation centred on utilizing Starlink connectivity for Apple's new satellite features. Taking to his Twitter account on Thursday, the SpaceX CEO stated the companies had "promising conversations."

Furthermore, the 51-year-old business magnate deemed Apple's iPhone team "super smart." However, he did not confirm if the talks were still ongoing.

Just a day ahead of the statement, Apple unveiled Emergency SOS via Satellite. iPhone 14 users will be able to ping emergency services via satellite networks when there's no standard cellular reception in their area.

Globalstar Inc. released a regulatory filing on Wednesday. The American satellite communications company confirmed that it cooperated with Apple to power up the satellite infrastructure.

However, Apple and SpaceX are keeping other details regarding their partnership under wraps. To recall, SpaceX and T-Mobile revealed that people using phones with T-Mobile's network can access SpaceX satellites.

Phone users on T-Mobile's network can send text messages even if they are in a location without cellular connectivity. However, this partnership, which is unlikely to launch until the end of 2023, will come to fruition only if SpaceX launches the upgraded Starlink satellite version dubbed Version 2, which will be different from Apple's satellite features because it will allow consumers to communicate.

For those unaware, the short-length satellite texting service from Apple allows users only to message emergency responders. The satellite infrastructure will also support Apple's Find My app integration.

So, people can track explorers and hikers more accurately when they are exploring regions without GPS or cellular services. Apple will roll out its satellite features in November. Apple iPhone 14 users will be able to access the feature for free for two years. However, details about how much it will cost after that is still scarce.