Satellite Connectivity to Reach 46% of Smartphones by 2030, Apple Leads Early Adoption

Satellite connectivity is starting to move beyond its role as an emergency fallback and into something much more common on smartphones. By the end of the decade, nearly half of all devices shipped globally are expected to support satellite connections, with Apple still in a strong position after getting there early.



Data published by Counterpoint Research shows that devices capable of connecting to Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) will capture 46 percent of the global smartphone market by 2030. Apple continues to lead in satellite-enabled shipments, largely due to its early move with Globalstar on the iPhone 14 in 2022. The firm says proprietary approaches like Apple's are likely to drive growth in the near term, mainly because standardized 3GPP alternatives are still dealing with chipset readiness and operator certification issues.


Apple's satellite backend has also gone through a significant shift to support that expansion. Amazon announced an $11.6 billion acquisition of Globalstar earlier this month, reinforcing long-term access to the infrastructure behind features like Emergency SOS and roadside assistance, while also giving Amazon a foothold to build out broader connectivity services. Counterpoint notes the deal brings immediate scale and creates new opportunities around connectivity as a service.

Right now, satellite features are still mostly limited to premium devices, and there's a clear gap when it comes to everyday use cases. Current network standards keep things fairly basic, focusing on messaging and emergency functions. Broader adoption in mid-range phones will likely depend on future 3GPP releases that can support more bandwidth-heavy features.

Separately, supply chain reports suggest the company is working on its in-house C2 modem for future devices, possibly starting with the iPhone 18 Pro. The expectation is that it would support 5G satellite standards, opening the door to more data-intensive satellite features in the future.

Meanwhile, the Android side is catching up. Samsung leads in satellite-enabled shipments among Android vendors, while Google and Huawei have taken a similar proprietary approach. Other brands, including Xiaomi and OPPO, are leaning toward standardized 3GPP NTN solutions to improve interoperability over time. Qualcomm currently dominates the chip side of these implementations, though MediaTek and others are starting to apply pressure, which should help bring costs down over the next few years.