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When Apple introduced the iPhone 14, one of the features they announced was that the phone would come with satellite connectivity, meaning that users could still have coverage in the event of an emergency.
This is a feature that we’re seeing coming to more phones, so it didn’t come as a surprise to learn that during CES 2023, Qualcomm announced that they too would be introducing a similar feature for Android phones. What’s interesting about this announcement is that Qualcomm doesn’t necessarily envision it being used just for emergencies.
Dubbed the Snapdragon Satellite, it more or less offers the same features as we have seen on other phones, where users will still be able to send messages even in remote locations where cellular coverage might not be available. Qualcomm also claims that their service could even work with messaging applications.
The devices that will support this feature will need to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which means that for the most part, it should be available on the majority of flagship Android phones launching in 2023. Qualcomm also states that this feature can be expanded beyond phones and work with laptops, tablets, or even cars.
The announcement also revealed that Qualcomm would be working together with Garmin for support of emergency messaging. That being said, given that most of us live in areas where there is usually adequate cell coverage, we’re not sure how useful this feature could be, but it’s good to know that there could be a backup plan in the event that we might need it.
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