(Credit: PCMag/Michael Kan)
The satellite features on supported iPhones will remain free for at least another year.
"Apple is extending free access to satellite features for an additional year for existing iPhone 14, iPhone 15, and iPhone 16 users," the company wrote in the fine print of its iPhone 18 Pro announcement. That’s good news since the satellite features, including the Emergency SOS, were slated to expire in the coming weeks for affected iPhones.
Satellite service keeps people connected in cellular dead zones, allowing them to send text messages via satellite. Emergency SOS has also helped emergency responders locate people stranded in remote areas.
Apple describes the access as a “free trial,” so it could eventually charge for the satellite connectivity. But so far, it has instead extended free access, even though the satellite connectivity was initially advertised as a two-year free trial.
Apple’s third-party partner, Globalstar, a satellite communications company, has powered the feature since late 2022, when it first arrived for the iPhone 14. Amazon is now in the process of acquiring Globalstar, including taking over Apple’s 20% stake in the company. Still, Amazon says it’ll continue supplying satellite services for iPhones and improving them through Globalstar.
The iPhone satellite features have been limited to text messaging, location pinging, and emergency assistance. You also usually need to point your phone toward the right part of the sky to access it. Still, Amazon’s goal is to expand Globalstar’s technology with two next-generation satellite constellations and eventually offer voice and mobile data. But this also means the upgraded satellite tech might come at an extra cost for iPhone owners.
In the coming years, consumers can also expect to see more satellite-to-phone service offerings. The two other major players, SpaceX and AST SpaceMobile, have ambitious plans to deliver cellular-focused broadband via orbiting satellites.
About Our Expert
I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.
Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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