Qualcomm announced at Mobile World Congress (MWC) that several phone manufacturers including Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Motorola, Nothing and Honor are adding satellite communication capabilities to their phones. However, the manufacturers did not provide details about which devices will get these features for the first time and when the companies will release them.
Qualcomm introduced its Snapdragon Satellite technology in partnership with satellite service provider Iridium at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last month. With this solution, smartphones can have two-way text messaging capabilities and other messaging applications that use satellites in emergency situations.
The chipmaker said Snapdragon Satellite will be available in upcoming RF modems and multiple 8-series and 4-series processor models for smartphones.
“By incorporating Snapdragon satellite in the following–generation devices, our mates will be able to offer satelite messaging capabilities thanks to a mature and commercially available world constellation of leo, that can allow subscribers around the world to communicate outdoors with the emergency service providers, as well as family and friends,Qualcomm’s vice president of product management, Francesco Grilli, said in a statement.
Last year, Apple introduced emergency satellite communication features with the iPhone 14 series, first in the US and Canada, and then in France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK via Globestar’s satellite network. Last week Samsung also announced its own satellite technology with the promise of integrating it into a future smartphone.
In addition, British smartphone manufacturer Bullitt, which also announced its own satellite technology at CES – Announced a rugged smartphone with satellite connectivity a few days before MWC. Taiwanese chipmaker MediaTek is also set to show your satellite connectivity solution for smartphones at the event. This lays the foundation for upcoming smartphones to have emergency satellite communication features for remote areas where network connectivity is unreliable.
