Amazon’s $11.6 billion takeover of Globalstar will, hopefully, benefit one of its biggest hardware rivals: Apple.
The deal, announced Tuesday, will give Amazon a ready-made, yet inferior to Starlink, satellite network to accelerate its push into direct-to-device internet service. As part of the agreement, Amazon also pledged to support Apple’s emergency messaging service using its Leo satellite constellation, taking over the role currently played by Globalstar.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
In a rare statement endorsing an outside tech deal, Apple noted that it already has a “proven track record” working with Amazon’s infrastructure offerings, including the e-commerce company’s cloud computing services.
“We look forward to building on that collaboration with Amazon Leo,” Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak said in the statement. “This ensures our users will continue to have access to the vital satellite features they have come to rely on.”
In 2022, the iPhone maker launched a set of satellite-connected services and today offers off-the-grid text messaging and the ability to contact emergency services while out of cellular range. To make it work, Apple teamed up with Globalstar, a 35-year-old operator of low earth orbit satellites. The iPhone maker also invested in the business, acquiring a roughly 20% stake.
While Apple was early with a consumer offering, the landscape quickly changed. Elon Musk’s SpaceX has become dominant in satellite-based internet services, and its technology goes far beyond what Globalstar can offer. That includes faster speeds, broader coverage, and the promise of voice and data support.
SpaceX has also partnered with T-Mobile US Inc., the second-largest US wireless carrier. That makes it easy for iPhones and other devices to tap into the network — rather than relying on Apple’s in-house features.
MacDailyNews Take: If Apple CEO Tim Cook didn’t have an Elon Musk issue and would simply put Apple users’ best interests first, Apple product users could today be enjoying vastly superior Starlink satellite connectivity — along with better, non-Google AI.
Instead, thanks to the personal friction, Apple’s satellite service remains tied to the limited Globalstar network (now being swallowed by Amazon for $11.6 billion), while vastly superior options like Starlink’s direct-to-device capabilities were reportedly passed over years ago. Meanwhile, Apple, due to blindly missing the AI revolution, will soon be dependent on iOS/iPhone-knockoff-peddler, privacy-trampling Google, of all companies, for core “Apple Intelligence” features rather than pursuing truly independent, privacy-focused alternatives.
Apple users deserve better — better satellite connectivity, better AI, and a better CEO.
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
Elon Musk is the Steve Jobs that Tim Apple could never have been. Musk and Jobs are cut from the same innovator’s cloth.
Tim has not, is not and will never be a true innovator, only a logistics guy who iterates the inventions of Jobs.
Cook served a valuable position after Jobs died, but it should have been in a caretaker role and then back to being the logistics guy he was. He has let his own failings and the damn gay orientation that this country is sick and tired of keep Apple from being what it should be.
Take the altar in the courtyard to the God of Pride, load that nasty mess up, and take it to the DUMP!
I suspect half the planet have as you call it a “Musk Issue”. I also suspect SJ would be horrified at the suggestion he and Musk are cut from the same cloth….
Take Trump from the Musk equation and Cook and “half the planet” would NOT have issues with Musk.
Prior to the campaign alignment, Musk was heralded, Teslas were lauded/loved and his business success and inventions caused amazement. He easily fit with the likes of H Ford, Al Einstein and, yes…Steve Jobs.
Now, he’s a pariah to MANY…which substantiates TDS as a real phenomenon.
TDS is a construct to deflect from the worldwide revulsion at the behaviour and actions of a man who has publicly celebrated the deaths of great United States politicians and public servants.
TDS stated long before there was any substantial reason for the revulsion.
Remember; he was the same man, advocating for the same things and he was favored. Don’t forget; the same politicians advocated MANY of the “his” policies that are now armaments used against him
Then he came down an escalator 11 yrs ago….
It’s interesting that the term TDS could also be used for “Trump Delusional Stupidity” Furthermore, anyone, let alone the POTUS, who posts AI slop of themselves as Jesus should be a worry to all of us. Including those with whatever version of TDS you preffer.
TDS is the magnification of incredible stupidity
Damn autocorrect. Manifestation
You and your ilk that dont know what a women is and believe “gender is a construct” are all mentally ill. We like seeing you post things you believe are erudite but just continue to reinforce how mentally ill you are. We treat you as such, but honestly, you all deserve to be institutionalized.
Please make up more TDS variations to while you hug yourself rocking next to your toilet thinking bad thoughts about trump and half the country, you can validate yourself exactly the way you deserve to be.
TDS = totally daft & stupid 🙂
Yea would know,you see it every time you look in the mirror
A great interview with John Ternus and Greg Joswiak
It seems to me that SpaceX/ Musk WANTED Globalstar to first sign a publicly/ SEC filed deal (as W/Amazon), clearly spelling out what they (Spacex) must next do in offering a vastly (financially and otherwise) superior deal for Globalstar stockholders, while making sure to provide (even verbatim, as from the Amazon-Globalstar deal)) at least comparable and likely better terms for Apple. Then it will just be a decision for those with a fiduciary responsibility (to Globalstar’s stockholders: 58% insiderJames Monroe III, 25% institutional and about 15%retail) to objectively evaluate and decide upon any such new, unsolicited offer. Paying a $0.5B breakup fee in a $15-20B deal? Less consequential (proportionately) than leaving a genorous tip after a wonderful dining experience. Amazon has put terms in writing that SpaceX just needs to impressively improve upon, in the fiduciary interest of Globalstar’s stockholders. Maybe Elon Musk will even offer to withdraw FCC petition RM-11975:).
He’s a kook.
Better to keep a distance from the space cadet.
“Furthermore, anyone, let alone the POTUS, who posts AI slop of themselves as Jesus should be a worry to all of us”
So, you are saying the national rags that made Obama with a Jesus Halo complex should be a worry? I agree. These fake news rags should be a worry to all of us.
https://patch.com/california/roseville-ca/bp–ap-photographer-catches-obama-as-image-of-christ
https://www.mediaite.com/online/is-that-a-halo-rolling-stones-somber-obama-cover/
https://www.illustrationsource.com/stock/image/514827/obama-in-robes-with-halo-holding-donkey/?&results_per_page=1&detail=TRUE&page=1
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-politics/9263775/Newsweek-portrays-Barack-Obama-with-rainbow-halo-in-latest-cover.html
https://patch.com/california/roseville-ca/bp–ap-photographer-catches-obama-as-image-of-christ