Qualcomm brings satellite connectivity to Android with Snapdragon Satellite. Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 smartphones will be available from the second half of 2023.
Following in Apple’s footsteps, Qualcomm has announced it will bring satellite connectivity to Android smartphones. The company has partnered with his Iridium, a global satellite communications company, to bring this feature to Android smartphones.
Called Snapdragon Satellite, this feature is available on select Android smartphones with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processors. Qualcomm says this is possible thanks to the technology contained in his Snapdragon X70 modem on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
Qualcomm has made Snapdragon Satellite available for smartphones with the latest chips, but it’s up to individual OEMs and service providers to enable the feature on specific devices. It’s currently unclear which of his OEMs will enable this feature, but we expect top manufacturers such as Samsung to enable it in their next-gen devices.
As far as its use cases go, Qualcomm says the feature will allow users who are remote or out of range of normal cellular service to send and receive messages. This is similar to how satellite connectivity works on his latest iPhone 14 series, where Qualcomm has partnered with his Garmin to provide emergency response services to users.
Qualcomm says users will be able to send customizable SMS messages (not pre-written) via satellite connectivity. This differs from the iPhone 14’s satellite connectivity feature, which only allows users to send pre-written responses to emergency services.
In addition to its initial use for emergency messages, Qualcomm indicated that the Snapdragon Satellite feature could have other potential uses in the future. The company mentions the potential use of the technology for SMS text messaging and connectivity in remote, rural, and offshore locations.
Also, it seems that the technology is not limited to smartphones. Qualcomm says the Snapdragon Satellite is also available for laptops, tablets, vehicles, and IoT devices. The company adds that it will allow manufacturers and app developers to differentiate their products and offer their own branded services using satellite connectivity.
sauce: Qualcomm
