Apple Inc. is developing satellite communications technology for the iPhone that will enable users to contact emergency services even when they’re not within range of a Wi-F network or cell tower.

That’s according to a report from Bloomberg published today. The publication’s sources indicated that certain hardware components necessary for satellite communications will be included in the new iPhones set to debut next month. However, it’s believed that the reported features for contacting emergency services will only arrive later, most likely next year. 

The report indicates that Apple’s satellite connectivity plans are more limited than previously believed. Respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has predicted the features of many of the company’s products before their launch, wrote in an investor memo over the weekend that this year’s iPhones will provide the ability to make calls and send texts via satellite. However, the new Bloomberg report from today suggests that Apple will initially focus on rolling out a narrower, more specialized set of satellite features to start. 

The first feature in the works is said to be codenamed Stewie internally. It’s expected to debut on the iPhone under the official name Emergency Message via Satellite. 

The capability will enable users to send a text to emergency services from an iPhone even if the device can’t connect to a Wi-Fi or cellular network. Emergency Message via Satellite will reportedly also provide the option to send texts to emergency contacts. The capability will allow users to message an emergency contact by typing “Emergency SOS” into the recipient line.

For recipients, texts they receive through Emergency Message via Satellite will appear in a grey bubble instead of the blue and green bubbles that the iPhone uses to display SMS and iMessage messages, respectively. Moreover, Bloomberg’s sources suggested that emergency texts will produce a notification even if the recipient’s iPhone has Do Not Disturb mode enabled.

The other satellite-powered feature Apple is said to be planning is aimed at enabling users to report emergencies to authorities. The feature will allow users to submit reports with information such as their current location and whether the emergency they’re reporting involves a car, a boat or a plane. 

The satellite features are expected to have certain technical limitations on launch. It’s believed that iPhones may take as much as a minute to connect to a satellite and, before a connection is established, users may have to walk to a new location that has better coverage. Additionally, the Emergency Message via Satellite feature is expected to place a character limit on texts.

It’s unclear exactly which satellite communications provider will work with Apple to power the new features. However, there are hints: Today’s report stated that two satellite operators, Iridium Communications Inc. and Omnispace LLC, aren’t working with Apple on the project. That narrows down the list of potential providers to a smaller number of companies.

One provider that wasn’t ruled out by the report is Globalstar Inc., which appears to be a particularly likely candidate. That’s because the company was named in earlier reports about the iPhone maker’s satellite connectivity plans.

Another open question is exactly how future iPhones will connect to orbital satellite networks. Satellite connectivity requires a specialized modem chip of a kind that current iPhones don’t include. Given that Apple sources modem chips for its handsets from Qualcomm Inc., it’s possible the iPhone maker is collaborating with Qualcomm to develop a satellite-compatible modem.

If the companies have indeed teamed up on the project, satellite-powered emergency features could eventually roll out to Android devices as well. Qualcomm supplies modem chips not only for Apple’s iPhones but also a sizable portion of the Android smartphones on the market. In the event the company is developing a satellite-compatible modem chip for Apple, it could decide to repackage the technology for other handset makers down the line. 

Image: Apple