Many Android phones to get satellite connectivity.

A new collaboration with satellite phone provider Iridium and chip maker Qualcomm will enable satellite connectivity on top Android phones later this year.

It is the case that, in places in which there isn’t mobile coverage, phones can connect to satellites that are passing to transmit and receive messages.

Qualcomm’s chips are used in numerous Android-powered phones.

Apple announced a satellite function on iPhone 14 in September 2022. iPhone 14 in September 2022.

The service is only accessible to send and receive basic text messages during an emergency.

British phone maker Bullitt has been the first company to launch its own satellite-based service, ahead of Apple to the punch. It’s also designed to be used in case of emergency and will be accessible in select areas when it’s first launched.

The new agreement will allow the same service to be accessible to millions of smartphone owners and will not tie them to one particular brand . However, it’s up to the manufacturer to allow it.

Iridium is the first satellite phone service, sending its first satellite into orbit in the year 1997. It has completed a revamp of its spacecraft network of 75 in the year 2019.

The satellites cover the whole globe. They orbit in a low orbit. They are around the distance of 485 miles (780km) over the Earth and they can communicate with one another by transmitting data.

Qualcomm has stated that for the moment, this new technology, which is dubbed Snapdragon Satellite, can only be available in its premium chips, so it is likely to be available in lower-end gadgets.

It will be introduced to laptops, tablets, and even cars as well as an option that isn’t only limited to emergency communications but there’s the possibility of a charge for this.

Satellite connectivity is widely thought as the next frontier in mobile phones as it addresses the issue of “not-spots” locations that do not have coverage. They are more prevalent in rural and remote locations.

It’s already been deployed successfully to provide broadband coverage through companies like Elon Musk’s Starlink.

Satellite broadband is quick and usually reliable however it is more expensive than fibre or cable connections.

Utilization of the feature is subject to local rules of government in countries like India and China prohibit the use of satellite phones.