The agreement follows Amazon's acquisition of Globalstar, as Counterpoint says Apple still leads satellite-capable smartphones and such devices could reach 46% of shipments by 2030.
Apple is developing Maps via satellite, photos in Messages via satellite and a satellite API for third-party apps, while North America leads adoption through carrier partnerships.
Apple pioneered the segment with iPhone 14 Emergency SOS in 2022; Samsung leads Android, but broader mass-market uptake is expected only with later 3GPP non-terrestrial network releases.
How might Amazon's Globalstar acquisition reshape the competition for satellite connectivity—and what does it mean for Apple and SpaceX partnerships?
With technical hurdles and high costs, when will satellite messaging become a standard feature on affordable smartphones worldwide?
As smartphone satellite features expand, will the environmental risks and costs outweigh the benefits of constant global connectivity?