Apple has reportedly scrapped a feature that would have enabled iPhone 11 users to send messages to each other even when they didn't have signal.
The feature – dubbed "Walkie Talkie" – would have allowed messages to be sent between iPhones over long distance radio waves rather than 3G or 4G mobile networks or WiFi.
Apple had been working with Intel on the technology, which was designed to run over the 900 megahertz radio spectrum, two people familiar with the project told The Information .
However, the plans were reportedly shelved after Apple made the decision to use 5G modems from rival chip maker Qualcomm in next year's iPhones, rather than those from Intel.
The technology could still show up in future iPhones, one of the people familiar with the project said.
Neither Apple nor Intel have commented on the report.
Apple announced last month that it was buying Intel's smartphone chip division for $1 billion (£803 million), which could eventually allow it to reduce its dependence on Qualcomm.
The Walkie Talkie feature – known internally as Project OGRS by Apple – is different from the existing Walkie Talkie tool in Apple Watch.
As well as being used for sending voice messages rather than text, Walkie Talkie on Apple Watch relies on a normal internet connection to transmit messages.
Apple's plans for Walkie Talkie on iPhone have not previously been reported. However, the decision to scrap the feature comes just two weeks before the expected launch of the iPhone 11.
The new handset is expected to feature a triple-lens camera and support two-way wireless charging, meaning it will be able to beam power to other gadgets such as AirPods.
There is not expected to be a 5G variant of the iPhone this year.
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