iPhone's Emergency Texts via Satellite Coming to Android in 2023 - CNET

One of Apple's astir important perks connected the iPhone 14 lets you send exigency texts using satellites erstwhile you're extracurricular the scope of your mobile network. Later this year, Android phones volition get a akin capableness to relay exigency texts virtually anyplace connected Earth done satellites orbiting the planet.

At CES 2023, Qualcomm debuted Snapdragon Satellite, a work that uses orbital connection institution Iridium's constellation of 66 satellites to relay exigency texts and information for free. While this keeps Android phones connected par with iPhone's advances, it besides ushers successful an epoch successful which exigency communications don't halt astatine the borderline of mobile networks.

Read more: CES 2023's Biggest Reveals

Like Apple's Emergency SOS feature, Snapdragon Satellite volition travel modular connected phones and won't beryllium routed done a third-party service. And similar Apple's feature, you'll simply request to space your telephone to the entity for the champion accidental of linking up with a outer to nonstop your exigency message. If you can't snag one, you tin conscionable effort again successful 8 to 12 minutes erstwhile the satellites -- which orbit the satellite astatine astir Mach 20 -- travel astir again, Qualcomm said. 

Qualcomm went with outer communications supplier Iridium for its Snapdragon Satellite feature.

Iridium

Snapdragon Satellite, acceptable for merchandise successful the 2nd fractional of 2023, volition travel connected devices with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 strategy connected a spot and the Snapdragon X70 modem, which was introduced astatine MWC 2022. For now, lone devices with some pieces of hardware volition person the feature, which volition apt beryllium the top-end phones coming retired this twelvemonth similar the Samsung Galaxy S23. 

Qualcomm whitethorn trickle the diagnostic down to devices with lower-end chips but has nary definitive plans to bash truthful close now.

Qualcomm hasn't outlined each the details yet. We don't cognize however the interface volition enactment oregon whether it volition fto you nonstop texts usually oregon volition locomotion you done a tiny questionnaire earlier sending a connection similar Apple's Emergency SOS does. It's besides unclear however agelong Qualcomm volition connection the work for free. For comparison, Apple has committed to 2 years of Emergency SOS for free.

Beyond supporting exigency texting, Qualcomm has plans to connection a premium work to fto you usage the satellites to nonstop information oregon texts for much societal purposes -- similar bragging astir sailing your yacht, Snapdragon Vice President Francesco Grilli joked. Qualcomm didn't uncover however overmuch that work would cost. 

Whatever mode radical usage them, Iridium thinks its constellation of satellites tin grip the load of messages. "We're rather assured that our capableness is much than capable for this service," Iridium Chief Technical Officer Greg Pelton said.

There are limits to the Iridium satellites, which were launched 25 years ago, and their GSM-like awesome strategy is person to 2G than 5G, Grilli said. That means you won't beryllium capable to usage Snapdragon Satellite for dependable calls unless Iridium sends up newer satellites. But with a 50-year lifespan connected the satellites, Qualcomm is assured that Iridium's constellation has decades of beingness up of it to relay texts.

Qualcomm went with Iridium for its constellation's proven quality alternatively than spell with a institution that hasn't been operational for arsenic long, the institution said.

Apple uses Globalstar's web of 24 satellites (with 17 much connected the way) for its Emergency SOS service. T-Mobile has partnered with SpaceX to usage its existing Starlink clump of microsatellites for out-of-network exigency texting. 

Verizon is moving with Amazon's Project Kuiper, which aims to usage a microsatellite clump similar Starlink for exigency messaging and perchance to supplement its 4G and 5G mobile network, though to day Amazon hasn't launched immoderate of the 3,236 microsatellites it plans to enactment into Earth's orbit.

Though AT&T had partnered with outer communications institution OneWeb for constricted concern connections, past autumn the bearer signed its own statement with AST SpaceMobile to augment its mobile web and assistance regular customers link via satellite. 

It's unclear however Qualcomm's efforts volition integrate with the different outer offerings, and there's inactive plentifulness for the chipmaker to fig retired connected its ain end. Unlike Apple, which tin acceptable its ain presumption for iPhones, Qualcomm present has to spell to telephone manufacturers utilizing Snapdragon chips and spot however they privation to instrumentality Snapdragon Satellite.