Apple introduced the satellite communication feature with the iPhone 14 series in September 2022, which was free for the lineup for the first two years. However, it was extended by a year in November 2023, and now, after the introduction of the iPhone 17 series yesterday, Apple has again extended the free trial of this feature for older iPhones.
“Apple is extending free access to satellite features for an additional year for existing iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users. The free trial will be extended for iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users who have activated their device in a country that supports Apple’s satellite features prior to 12 a.m. PT on September 9, 2025,” said Apple in a footnote on its newsroom posts for the iPhone 17 lineup.
Well, that means users of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 series who are early adopters of the satellite communication feature can now continue using it for free until mid-September 2026.
Apple’s satellite communication feature allows users of iPhone 14 and later models to connect their iPhone to a satellite to text emergency services, request roadside assistance, message friends and family, and share their location while they are off the grid with no cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.
Globalstar provides the satellite network for this feature; however, it isn’t available in all countries where Apple officially sells iPhones and isn’t offered on iPhones purchased in Armenia, Belarus, China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Russia.
You can read more about Apple’s satellite communication feature here.