A new partnership between satellite phone company Iridium and chip giant Qualcomm will bring satellite connectivity to premium Android smartphones later this year. It implies that handsets can communicate with passing satellites to send and receive messages even in areas with no mobile coverage.
Qualcomm chips are found in many Android-powered smartphones. Apple announced a satellite feature for the iPhone 14 in September 2022. The service is currently only available for sending and receiving basic text messages in an emergency.
Bullitt, a British smartphone maker, was the first to launch its own satellite service, beating Apple to the punch. It is also intended for emergency use and will initially be available in select areas.
Iridium was the first satellite phone system, launching its first satellite into orbit in 1997. In 2019, it completed a refresh of its 75-spacecraft network.
Qualcomm stated that the new feature, dubbed Snapdragon Satellite, will initially be included only in its premium chips and is unlikely to appear in low-cost devices.
However, it will ultimately be rolled out to tablets, laptops, and even vehicles, and will also become a service that is not limited to emergency communication - though there will most probably be a fee for this.
Satellite connectivity is widely regarded as the next frontier for mobile phones because it addresses the issue of "not-spots," or areas with no existing coverage. These are more common in rural or remote areas.
But since countries such as India and China prohibit the use of satellite phones, the use of the feature will be subject to local government regulations.