According to a report (paywall) Apple has reportedly paused an iPhone offline message project, dubbed a ‘walkie-talkie’ feature.
The report claims Apple was working with Intel on the project, which supposedly would have enabled iPhone users to send messages directly to other iPhone users over long-distance radio waves that bypass cellular networks, adding that the technology was designed to run over the 900 MHz radio spectrum.
The project is said to have been suspended in part because the Apple executive heading it, Rubén Caballero, left the company earlier this year. The technology also relied on Intel modems, according to the report, and Apple is expected to start using Qualcomm modems in iPhones again starting in 2020.
Hopefully Apple considers starting the project again in the future. I could’ve used offline messaging this weekend.
Check It Out: Apple Pauses iPhone Offline Messaging Project