Disassembly display iPhone 14 series uses Qualcomm satellite chip, including Apple custom components

On the morning of September 19, Beijing time, it was reported that disassembly analysis showed that Apple iPhone 14 used Qualcomm satellite chip, but added additional components customized by Apple to achieve the phone's most important new features.

Satellite communication is an important new feature of iPhone 14, which can send emergency messages when WiFi and cellular data networks are not available.

Apple said earlier this month that iPhone 14 includes new hardware to implement the emergency messaging service. Apple plans to enable the service in a software update in November. But the company did not disclose hardware details related to it.

IFixit's disassembly analysis of the iPhone 14 Pro Max on Friday showed that the phone uses a Qualcomm X65 modem chip.

Qualcomm chips provide a 5G cellular network connection for the phone, but can also call the Band N53 frequency used by Globalstar's satellite.

Globalstar struck a deal with Apple earlier this month to use 85 per cent of the communications capabilities of its satellite network to implement iPhone's latest emergency communications function.

Apple said in a statement that it did use additional proprietary hardware and software in iPhone 14 to implement new messaging functions.

"the iPhone 14 contains custom band components, and the new software is completely designed by Apple," Apple said. "together, the two will enable emergency SOS communication through the new iPhone 14 model."

Qualcomm has yet to comment.