Qualcomm introduces Snapdragon Satellite for emergency messaging via satellites

Qualcomm has announced Snapdragon Satellite, a service that allows smartphone makers to enable satellite messaging through their phones. The service works with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 sockets and the X70 modem. The first phones with it will be released in the second half of this year.

Snapdragon Satellite works with Iridium’s low Earth orbit satellites and lets users send text messages and emergency communications worldwide. Qualcomm says the service will first come to ‘premium’ smartphones later this year, but does not yet name any phone manufacturers that will use the service. The company also says that other devices, such as laptops, tablets, vehicles and IoT devices, can be equipped with Snapdragon Satellite.

In return for The Verge says Qualcomm that Satellite will first allow only emergency communications and will work with Garmin Response to do so. Such an emergency message will include coordinates with which the location of the user can be seen. Later, the company wants to add a messaging service, which will work with the user’s telephone number. Users can also receive messages via satellites. Qualcomm says Satellite will be free or cheap, but phone makers will ultimately be responsible for how much it will cost customers.

Sending or receiving messages via satellites should take about three to ten seconds with Satellite. Users don’t always have to hold their phone up to satellites either; only sight can suffice. Qualcomm is not yet focusing on voice or data via satellites. Earlier this week, Bullitt announced that the Motorola Defy will get a similar satellite service, but one that works with MediaTek smartphones. Several smartphone companies have recently started working on satellite services.