Android Phone Manufacturers to Release Phones With Satellite Connectivity
- Beginning in 2023, Android phones will have a satellite feature to provide services in areas without network coverage
- After Apple announced that the feature is available in its recently launched iPhone 14, Android phones will also get the feature
- The satellite company, Iridium and chip maker, Qualcomm, will collaborate to make the feature
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A new collaboration between the satellite company, Iridium and chip maker, Qualcomm, will bring satellite connection to choice Android smartphones later in 2023.
This means that in places without mobile coverage, phones can connect with available satellites to send and receive messages.
Source: Getty Images
Apple first to announce the feature
Qualcomm’s chips are available in many android-enabled phones.
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Earlier, Apple announced a satellite feature for the iPhone 14 in September 2022. The feature is currently available for sending and receiving basic text messages during emergencies.
British phone manufacturer, Bullitt, was the first to launch its own satellite service before Apple announced the feature.
The feature is also for emergency use and will be available in selected places when it rolls out.
The new collaboration will make the same service available to millions of phone users, without restricting them to a particular brand. It will be left to the manufacturer to enable it.
The BBC reported that the satellite company, Iridium, is the maker of original phone system, sending its first satellite into orbit in 1997. The company completed a refresh of its network of 75 Spacecraft in 2019.
Iridium’s satellites cover the entire globe and fly in low orbit, about 485 miles from the Earth and the satellite groups can communicate with each other, sending data between them.
Reports say that Qualcomm initially said that the new feature called Snapdragon satellite will be integrated into its choice chips so it may not appear in budget phones and devices.
Phones, tablets and cars to have the feature
The feature will roll out first in tablets, laptops and even vehicles and also become a service not restricted to emergency communication. There may be a fee for the service.
Satellite connectivity is largely thought to be the next big thing for mobile phones because it handles the problem of areas without network coverage which is more common in rural areas and remote places.
Starlink already has the feature
Elon Musk’s Starlink has successfully deployed the feature to provide coverage.
Satellite broadband is more reliable but more expensive than cable fibre connections.
The use of the feature will be subject to local government approvals as countries such as India and China have banned the use of satellite phones.
Some Android phone makers such as Samsung and Xiaomi are positioned to be the first to roll out the feature later in the year.
Elon Musk’s Starlink network to work underwater, remote areas after striking deal with T-Mobile
Legit.ng reported that by 2023, smartphone users will be able to utilize their mobile service underwater or in remote areas.
This is due to a partnership between Elon Musk's satellite business SpaceX and network operator T-Mobile.
According to reports, SpaceX, the parent company of internet operator Starlink, and T-Mobile are collaborating to leverage their services to enable smartphone customers to use their mobile phones in distant places without having to upgrade to a bigger satellite phone.
Source: Legit.ng
