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Apple and Amazon Ink Satellite Deal Amid Globalstar Takeover

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Amazon and Globalstar have announced a definitive merger agreement under which Amazon will acquire the satellite operator. News of the deal puts to bed questions about the fate of Apple's exclusive satellite connectivity partner, and reveals how Apple will still benefit.

iPhone Satellite Feature
Alongside the acquisition, Amazon and Apple have signed a separate agreement for Amazon's Leo satellite network to power existing iPhone and Apple Watch satellite features, including Emergency SOS, Messages via satellite, Find My, and Roadside Assistance via satellite.

Amazon said it will continue supporting iPhone and Apple Watch models that use Globalstar's existing and upcoming low Earth orbit constellation, which is being built by MDA Space. Amazon also said it will work with Apple on future satellite services running on the expanded Leo network.


"Apple and Amazon have a long and proven track record of working together through Amazon's core infrastructure services, and we look forward to building on that collaboration with Amazon Leo," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing.

"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."

Amazon's acquisition deal, said to be worth $11.57 billion, is expected to close in 2027, subject to the usual regulatory approvals and the achievement of specific satellite deployment milestones by Globalstar.

Bloomberg had reported in October that Globalstar was exploring a sale and had held early talks with SpaceX before the Amazon discussions emerged. As we reported earlier this month, Apple's 20 percent stake in Globalstar was said to be a sticking point in Amazon's bid to acquire the company.

Apple is working on a series of new satellite connectivity features for the iPhone which will apparently require upgrades to Globalstar's infrastructure. They include Apple Maps via satellite, photos in Messages via satellite, connectivity in indoors environments, satellite over 5G, and a satellite API for third-party apps.

Tags: Amazon, iPhone Satellite Features

Top Rated Comments

jgleigh Avatar
jgleigh
1 day ago at 05:59 am

I'd rather not contribute to a company that is crowding earth orbit with semi-disposable space junk. I like to look at the night sky and see stars, not satellites burning up or flashing sunlight.
Except this is using both Amazon's and Globalstar's LEO satellite networks. They're all creating massive clouds of future space junk.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cateye Avatar
cateye
23 hours ago at 07:21 am

How exactly can you see satellites from earth?
Satellites are visible with the naked eye when they reflect sunlight. They also appear on astral photography. Although the extent to which you notice them has to do with whether they are geosynchronous (move with the earth, appear to be still when viewed from the surface) or on their own orbital path (move across the sky, like a plane). Look up for an extended period of time somewhere away from city lights in the middle of the night. You'll see what looks like dim stars moving quickly across the sky. Satellites.

The satellites that SpaceX's Starlink and Amazon's Leo put in orbit are smaller than traditional satellites, but are still especially visible since A. there are so many (thousands for Starlink, hundreds so far for Leo, with a similar goal of thousands) and B. They're closer to earth (hence "low earth orbit" = LEO). You start to be able to see "swarms" of them.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B
Biro
23 hours ago at 07:21 am

How exactly can you see satellites from earth?
With your naked eye. No doubt you have already seen some. What you may think is a star could very well be a satellite. Even the International Space Station can be seen with the naked eye. But a pair of binoculars helps.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
VulchR Avatar
VulchR
1 day ago at 05:47 am
I really only need emergency services, weather, maps (even low-res ones provided the relevant app has GPS), and text communication with immediate family via satellite. The other bells and whistles won't make a difference for me.

I live in Scotland and even here most places are covered by 4G and 5G, but there are places in the Highlands with no reception and it is reassuring having backup in case of emergency. FWIW I also carry a personal locator beacon, a physical map and a compass with me, as any sane person would away from civilisation.


Missed opportunity. Avoiding Starlink/SpaceX is a fools errand.
I'd rather not contribute to a company that is crowding earth orbit with semi-disposable space junk. I like to look at the night sky and see stars, not satellites burning up or flashing sunlight.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IIGS User Avatar
IIGS User
21 hours ago at 09:18 am

Bezos or Musk.. choosing between the two evils is so hard.. feel like we need a third player in the space (literally) but then we have even more space junk up there.
Bezos wins because he's bald and his rocket looks "equipo" from a Dr. Evil standpoint.

All he needs is a hairless cat and a private island shaped like his head and he's got the whole package.

Picture of what Bezos' cat should look like.

[Click to view video attachment]
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
MilaM
22 hours ago at 08:01 am

I'm interested in how much capacity of Globalstar Apple uses and how much will be left over for Amazon to utilize. Seems like Apple's probably using quite a bit, so I'm guessing that Amazon is more interested in Globalstar's technology (and patents) rather than running them as a business.
I don't think Amazon is interested in using Globalstar's existing infrastructure, since it doesn't support high bandwidth data transfers. They need the talent and possibly some IP to more effectively compete with Starlink with their currently developed LEO constellation.

According to Wikipedia, Apple has reserved 85% of Globalstar's network capacity. So there isn't much left anyway for other customers.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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