Qualcomm Inc. said Thursday that the chip-maker has partnered with satellite communications company Iridium to offer satellite-based text messaging on high-end smartphones running Google's Android operating system.
The companies said the feature would be similar in principle to Apple's SOS, but would allow users to send messages to anyone. A few months ago, Apple introduced a similar feature that would allow the iPhone 14 to send emergency messages via satellite in countries such as the United States and Canada. The satellite-based two-way messaging solution is called "Snapdragon Satellite." Qualcomm said the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform will have built-in messaging support for using satellite connectivity, and smartphones using the technology will be available in the second half of 2023 with a series of new models. Snapdragon Satellite is understood to use Iridium's constellation of satellites, which uses L-band spectrum, which Iridium says is "more weather-friendly" than frequencies used by other networks. However, Android smartphones with this feature still need a clear view of the sky to work properly, and can send messages within 10 seconds with a stable connection. According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon Satellite feature will be used for emergency messaging first, similar to the satellite emergency call feature Apple offers through its partnership with Globalstar. But at the same time, the company also mentioned SMS text messaging and connectivity in remote, rural and offshore locations are also situations where the feature may be used, suggesting that it may not be limited to emergency use in the future. Also, while Snapdragon Satellite will be available on smartphones first, Qualcomm added that it can also be used on other devices such as laptops, cars and tablets, but it did not say if any special equipment is required.
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