Great news: Satellite-based texting on Android handsets, Qualcomm teams up with Iridium
0In order to enable high-end Android handsets to communicate without WiFi-based internet connectivity, chipmaker Qualcomm Inc. today announced a partnership with Iridium Communications Inc.
The new technology, according to the firms, has a variety of possible uses, including enabling SOS services, SMS texts, and other low-bandwidth messaging systems. Such services would be accessible anywhere Iridium's worldwide satellite constellation is authorized to operate, outside of terrestrial networks.
The iPhone 14 models may now transmit emergency messages via satellite in several nations, including the United States and Canada, thanks to a similar service that Apple Inc. launched last year in collaboration with the rival satellite constellation operator GlobalStar Inc. The Qualcomm chips used in Apple's iPhone 14 also provide the devices the ability to communicate with satellites even when there is no WiFi or cellular data connectivity.
According to Iridium, Qualcomm's technology will allow smartphone users to send and receive messages through its satellite network, connecting them to the right emergency services in the event of an emergency. Garmin Ltd., a maker of GPS devices, will also aid emergency response services in locating callers, according to the business.
Iridium's executive director of communication, Jordan Hassin, told SpaceNews that the business partnered with Qualcomm rather than a particular smartphone manufacturer since Qualcomm's technology is compatible with any device running the Android operating system. In addition to supplying the hardware, Qualcomm will also promote Iridium's service to smartphone manufacturers, according to him.
The fact that Qualcomm's chipsets are widely used by some of the major smartphone manufacturers in the world, including Samsung Electronics Ltd. and Motorola Inc., makes the agreement lucrative for Iridium.
Smartphones must be powered by Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform, a new chip designed for high-end devices, in order to use the Snapdragon Satellite service.
In a press conference at the CES consumer electronics exhibition in Las Vegas, Iridium Chief Executive Matt Desch stated that the company is still ironing out the finer points of how users would be charged for utilizing the service. According to Apple, the first two years of the SOS service, which is powered by satellites, will be free.
Francesco Grilli, Qualcomm’s vice president of product management, demonstrated the technology during the CES briefing, sending a basic text message to another handset in just three seconds.
The companies said Snapdragon Satellite may be expanded to other devices such as laptops, tablets, connected cars and possibly even “internet of things” devices in future. In addition, they’re also looking at the possibility of supporting higher-bandwidth services. “We certainly have aspirations to go well beyond where we are today,” Desch said.
Image: Iridium