Qualcomm introduces Snapdragon Satellite for satellite emergency messaging

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 socs 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 allows users worldwide to send text messages and emergency communications. Qualcomm says the service will first come to “premium” smartphones later this year, but is not yet naming 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 initially only allow emergency communications and will work with Garmin Response to do so. Such an emergency message includes coordinates with which the location of the user can be seen. Later, the company wants to add a messaging service that will work with the user’s phone number. Users can therefore also receive messages via satellites. Qualcomm says Satellite will be free or cheap, but that phone makers are ultimately responsible for how much it will cost customers.

Sending or receiving messages via satellite should take about three to ten seconds with Satellite. Users don’t have to hold their phones up to satellites all the time 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 receive a similar satellite service, but one that works with MediaTek socs. Several smartphone companies have recently started working on satellite services.