Amazon to Acquire Globalstar, Backing Apple’s iPhone Satellite Features

Overview

• Amazon reached a definitive agreement to buy Globalstar and also signed a separate pact to run existing iPhone and Apple Watch satellite tools, with the acquisition pending regulatory approval and a planned close in 2027.
• Apple’s current satellite features — Emergency SOS, Find My, Roadside Assistance, and basic Messages — work in supported regions without Wi‑Fi or cellular networks and are expected to continue without near‑term changes.
• Reports describe unconfirmed plans for broader Apple satellite use that could add Apple Maps access, photo sharing in Messages, third‑party app support, and possibly 5G over satellite on future models.
• Capacity still trails SpaceX’s Starlink, with industry counts citing about 241 Amazon satellites and 24 active Globalstar satellites versus Starlink’s thousands, including roughly 650 designed for direct phone links.
• Apple put about $1.1 billion into Globalstar in 2024 for an estimated 20% stake, and the takeover could let Apple cash out, convert that stake into Amazon shares, or choose a mix.