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- The function will be introduced, according to Qualcomm, in the second half of 2023.
- To make the service available for Android, the business is collaborating with Iridium.
- The iPhone 14 from Apple has a satellite-based emergency alert system.
At the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show, Qualcomm, the American semiconductor company that makes the Snapdragon chipsets used in mobile devices, will introduce a two-way texting capability for smartphones (CES 2023). Users will be able to communicate internationally on Android smartphones using various messaging apps, SMS, and emergency messages thanks to the company’s Snapdragon Satellite solution. The feature will initially be available on handsets powered by the company’s mobile Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. The most recent iPhones from Apple include a capability similar to this one that enables users to send emergency SOS texts using a satellite connection.
To offer the service to customers all across the world, the business has teamed with satellite communications provider Iridium. According to Qualcomm, Snapdragon Satellite will be powered by Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF Systems and use the constellation of Iridium satellites orbiting the planet to enable OEMs to provide the service globally.
It should be noted that only the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Ireland presently have access to Apple’s Emergency SOS via Satellite capability.
The satellite-based messaging service from Qualcomm is anticipated to become live in a few places in the second half of 2023. The capability will eventually be made available on laptops, tablets, cars, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices in addition to smartphones. Manufacturers and app developers are expected to create exclusive features and programmes based on the capabilities of the Snapdragon Satellite.
Popular GPS-based activity monitoring smartwatch manufacturer Garmin has already stated its intention to work with Qualcomm to add the feature to its products. When a user clicks the SOS button on a Garmin watch, Garmin Response, the company’s own SOS feature, activates and connects them to the Garmin Response team for assistance or rescue.
In remote, rural, and offshore settings, the Snapdragon Satellite function claims to provide “pole-to-pole” coverage for satellite-based two-way texting. The service could be used for leisure activities in addition to emergencies. Whether smartphones in India will use Snapdragon Satellite when it launches later this year is currently unknown, according to the firm.