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Why did Apple halt work on a new iPhone text feature that works without a mobile signal?

Apple had been working with chip maker Intel on the new iPhone feature that would have let people text one other in areas without using a mobile network. Photo: Shutterstock

Apple has reportedly halted development on a new iPhone feature that would have let people text one another in areas without a mobile phone service.

A report by the subscription news service, The Information, said Apple had teamed up with Intel to build a new technology that would let iPhones communicate with other iPhones “over long-distance radio waves that bypass cellular networks, said two people familiar with the project”.

The project may not be totally ‘dead’ … A lot of people would commit themselves to the Apple ecosystem, or entrench themselves even further, if they knew text-messaging would work reliably regardless of their reception or coverage

Check out the most salient points from the report:

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At Apple, the project was internally code-named Off-Grid Radio Service, or OGRS (pronounced “ogres”).

At Intel, it was called “Project Shrek”.

Apple filed a series of patents relating to OGRS earlier this year.

At Apple, the project was internally code-named Off-Grid Radio Service, or ‘OGRS’ – pronounced ‘ogres’; at Intel it was called ‘Project Shrek’

The technology would have used Intel chips from forthcoming iPhones and work over the 900 megahertz radio band that utility companies often use.

Rubén Caballero was the Apple executive in charge of this project. He apparently had called this his “baby”.

Caballero left Apple in April. His modem team was combined with senior vice-president Johny Srouji's hardware team in January, and Srouji assumed control over the new unit, Reuters reported.

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While it sounds as if this project may have been shelved for now, it may not be totally dead.

It is possible the plans fell apart because it was reliant on using Intel chips for future iPhones; Apple struck a deal to have Qualcomm handle the chips for its first 5G iPhones in 2020 and it reportedly spent over US$1 billion on Intel's modem business earlier this year to start building its own iPhone modems itself.

So perhaps Apple can resuscitate this project once the dust has settled with the Intel smartphone modem team acquisition.

Hopefully Apple will decide to resume its work on this “Walkie Talkie” texting feature, which would be a pretty compelling reason to buy an iPhone

Apple is serious about relying less on third parties for future iPhone parts – the iPhone still accounts for about half the company's total worldwide revenue.

Hopefully Apple will decide to resume its work on this “Walkie Talkie” texting feature, which would be a pretty compelling reason to buy an iPhone.

The ability to text someone if they have no mobile service is pretty powerful: think about how many areas have poor mobile phone service, or no service at all, even near your home.

A lot of people would commit themselves to the Apple ecosystem, or entrench themselves even further, if they knew text-messaging would work reliably regardless of their reception or coverage.

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This article originally appeared on Business Insider .
Apple

Firm worked with Intel chip maker on project to build system so the smartphones could communicate ‘over long distance radio waves that bypass cellular networks’, report says