Today, Qualcomm announced its satellite-based two-way communication system that will make its debut on premium smartphones that will arrive in the second half of 2023. Snapdragon Satellite will provide a new global communication technology for phones that are utilizing its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processors. The service will make use of Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF Systems which will be backed by Iridium Communications satellite network.

While the technology will be centered around smartphones at first, Qualcomm states that Snapdragon Satellite can also be adopted to other popular devices like laptops, tablets, vehicles and more. Qualcomm plans to "support 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), as NTN satellite infrastructure and constellations become available." Not only willIridium Communications be a partner, but so will Garmin, providing emergency response services over Snapdragon Satellite.

The earliest to adopt satellite emergency services on a smartphone was Apple, debuting the feature with its iPhone 14 series smartphones. That same year, T-Mobile announced its partnership with SpaceX, vowing to provide satellite coverage where traditional cellular services couldn't reach. While Apple has launched its service in the United States and other parts of the world, T-Mobile's service won't be available until sometime late in 2023, and even then, it will be in beta. So despite its aggressive moves in 2022, there is a chance that Qualcomm could beat T-Mobile to the punch.

Although it's still early days for satellite service, that doesn't mean companies aren't planning for it. Last year, Google's senior vice president of Android, Hiroshi Lockheimer, shared that Google was designing the next version of Android for satellites. In addition, we have heard early rumors that Samsung's Galaxy S23 series could offer support for satellite communication with the support of Iridium Communications. It's unclear at this point whether it will have its own service or will rely on Snapdragon Satellite. Luckily, we won't have to wait long to find out.

Source: Qualcomm