Apple secured a new agreement with Amazon ensuring the satellite features millions of iPhone and Apple Watch users depend on — including Emergency SOS — continue to work, even as the company that currently powers them is set to be acquired, the companies said Tuesday.
“This ensures our users will continue to have access to the vital satellite features they have come to rely on, including Emergency SOS, Messages, Find My, and Roadside Assistance via satellite, so they can stay safe and connected while off the grid,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, in an Amazon press release Tuesday.
Apple-Amazon deal keeps satellite features going
Amazon will acquire Globalstar, the satellite operator that has powered Apple’s satellite connectivity since it launched on iPhone 14 in 2022, the online retail giant said. Alongside the takeover deal, Amazon and Apple signed a separate agreement ensuring Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite network, Amazon Leo, will take over powering those features and perhaps others going forward.
What this means for your iPhone and Apple Watch
If you own an iPhone 14 or later, or an Apple Watch Ultra 3, you already use Globalstar’s satellite network to access features such as Emergency SOS via satellite, Messages via satellite, Find My and Roadside Assistance via satellite. Under the new agreement, those features will continue to work without interruption as Amazon absorbs Globalstar’s infrastructure.
Amazon commits to supporting iPhone and Apple Watch models currently relying on Globalstar’s existing satellite constellation. And that includes new satellites manufactured by MDA Space. In addition, Amazon will collaborate with Apple on future satellite services built on the expanded Amazon Leo network.
Joswiak highlighted the importance of keeping these services running, noting that Emergency SOS via satellite has helped save many lives since launching more than three years ago — citing examples including a scout troop stranded on a winter hike in British Columbia and a woman airlifted to safety in Colorado after her car rolled down a steep cliff.
What is Amazon Leo?
Amazon Leo — formerly known as Project Kuiper — is Amazon’s own constellation of low Earth orbit satellites. The company designed it to deliver fast, reliable internet to customers beyond the reach of traditional networks. Its initial constellation comprises more than 3,000 satellites.
By acquiring Globalstar, Amazon gains the company’s satellite operations, infrastructure, spectrum licences and global regulatory authorizations. The combined network will allow Amazon to deliver what it describes as continuous connectivity for consumer, enterprise and government customers worldwide.
Amazon is also planning a next-generation direct-to-device (D2D) satellite system, due to begin deployment in 2028. The company said it will offer faster speeds and better performance than legacy systems by making more efficient use of radio spectrum.
When will the deal close?
The Amazon-Globalstar merger is expected to close in 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and certain operational milestones. Globalstar stockholders holding approximately 58% of combined voting power have already approved the transaction.
For Apple users, the transition should be seamless. The agreement between Apple and Amazon should ensure existing satellite features remain supported throughout the changeover and beyond.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
