Qualcomm chips will soon unlock satellite communication functions, giving Android phones a chance to turn things around

Qualcomm Inc. said Thursday that the chip maker has teamed up with satellite communications company Iridium to offer satellite-based text messaging services on high-end smartphones running Google's Android operating system.

The two companies said that in principle, this feature is similar to Apple's "Emergency SOS", but it allows users to send messages to anyone. A few months ago, Apple also launched a similar feature that allows the iPhone 14 to send emergency messages via satellite in countries such as the United States and Canada.

This satellite-based two-way messaging solution is called "Snapdragon Satellite." Qualcomm said that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform will have built-in support for messaging using satellite connections, and smartphones using this technology will be available in the second half of 2023 with a series of new models.

Snapdragon Satellite will reportedly use the Iridium satellite constellation, which uses L-band spectrum, which Iridium says is "more weather-resistant" than the frequencies used by other networks.

However, Android smartphones with the feature still need a clear view of the sky for it to work properly, and messages can be sent within 10 seconds on a stable connection.

According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon Satellite feature will initially be used for emergency messaging, similar to the satellite SOS feature that Apple offers through its partnership with Globalstar.

But at the same time, the company also mentioned SMS texting and connectivity in remote, rural and offshore locations as possible uses for the feature, suggesting that it may not be limited to emergency situations in the future.

Additionally, while Snapdragon Satellite will be available in smartphones first, Qualcomm added that it could also be used in other devices such as laptops, cars and tablets, but it did not specify whether any special equipment would be required.