Apple Reportedly Planning Satellite System That Will Beam Data Directly to iPhones

[Tsing]

SpaceX and Amazon may be getting some serious competition in low Earth orbit. Apple is reportedly assembling a secret team that will build (or use pre-existing) internet satellites for bouncing data between iDevices. The goal of this project is to sidestep traditional networks/carriers and improve GPS functions, such as location tracking.

As part of the staffing effort, Apple has hired Michael Trela and John Fenwick, former head of satellite engineering at Google and former head of spacecraft operations at Google, respectively, according to their LinkedIn profiles. Apple has also hired Matt Ettus, the Bloomberg report said, who founded Ettus Research, which sells wireless networking equipment.

 

[Brian_B]

I predict this will go about how the Apple Car has went.

Although I would welcome the concept of ubiquitous data access without being enslaved to cellular caps.

 

[raz-0]

ehh the small sat market is cheaper and more accessible than ever before.

There are players out there with a lot of potential growth. It might actually be cheaper to book all their flights, cancel, and buy up the tanking stock than to offer a friendly buyout.

 

[Uvilla]

Only 2 are really there, Space X and Amazon with Blue Origins. And its more Space X than anybody else.
Everybody else is in doubt in my opinion.
Space X can do it for nearly fuel cost alone, just re use the re usable rockets right about when no one else would use them for anything else. So before end of life if the rocket I mean (i imagine you can't use the reusable rockets forever.
No apple, take your ball and go home, you got nothing... Perhaps they are trying to make the sattelites more slick looking,, with round corners and all that.

 

[Burticus]

Because that is what the world needs.... more satellites.