The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has always been a space for tech companies to come up with announcements and news so far. And this year was no different. In 2023’s CES, Qualcomm, Gramin, and Iridium came up with the concept of the Snapdragon Satellite. And now the entire world is busy thinking about the same.
The minds behind Snapdragon Satellite
So what this Snapdragon Satellite is? And why is there so much of a buzz around the same? But before that, let’s look into the past concerning Qualcomm, Gramin, and Iridium’s heritage.
Qualcomm started with its venture in satellites in 1988 with the creation of Omnitracs technology. And the same’s success laid the groundwork for the development of CDMA technology. Moving on, Qualcomm has also helped with the funding and creation of the GlobalStar satellite network.
Next, there is Gramin, who produces commercial & consumer GPS devices. And those are capable of utilizing satellite-based connectivities. The technology of inReach two-way messaging and services has helped Gramin work on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Satellite.
And also, how can one miss Iridium, a prominent name among the world’s leading providers of satellite-based communication. It has been in the news that the sixty-six-satellite network does offer all the essential aspects of spectrum & connectivity that the Snapdragon Satellite completely depends on. Moreover, looking into the past, Iridium does comprise a promising history of bracing mobile-based satellite applications with pagers, handsets, and IoT devices. The decades of experience do count for Iridium, gaining it a name among the top leaders in satellite communications.
Snapdragon Satellite overview
While the world had already seen Apple introducing its emergency SOS text service within the iPhone 14. T-Mobile and SpaceX coming forward to devise plans that facilitate satellite communication by the end of 2023. And now we have one more on the list, Qualcomm announcing its worldwide satellite protocol available over premium smartphones. Technical stalwarts like Qualcomm, Iridium, and Gramin have come together in this project. And the system will be utilizing Irirdium’s Satellite constellation for functioning.
Snapdragon Satellite has much more to offer, unlike other satellite-based communicational arrangements facilitated by competitors. It is the first ever satellite-based communicative solution that stands capable of introducing a two-way messaging protocol. However, traversing voice and text will not be possible at this moment.
As per reports, the smartphone-enabled with Snapdragon satellite technology requires a fixed-functioning antenna. Also, it must stand compatible with satellite connection L-band radio. However, no mention of smartphones requiring an external antenna for functioning has been mentioned. All one has to do is position their phone at a certain angle to detect the best satellite.
Key highlights of Snapdragon Satellite
The Snapdragon Satellite arrangement is the first ever of its kind to offer a two-way messaging service. And that makes it all the more attractive. However, there is more; the list below will help you look for yourself.
The immediate highlights
- For now, the Snapdragon Satellite technology by Qualcomm is based on 66-low orbit satellites by Iridium, and the specifics have international coverage. Also, the company has integrated the X70 system for the modem part.
- One can utilize the Snapdragon Satellite for both emergency and recreational purposes. This particular does come in handy for people seeking camping ventures in rural, remote, and offshore places.
- There are various locations on Earth which with limited cellular coverage. And the list goes as the middle of the Ocean, desert areas, and remote mountains. Now with a smartphone equipped with the Snapdragon Satellite feature, it will become easy to communicate.
- Also, other than smartphones, the Snapdragon Satellite technology is compatible with IoT, tablets, vehicles, and laptops.
Also, the CEO of Iridium, Matt Desch, explains that their LEO satellites can cover connections with low latency located at any part of the globe. He also added that already a million of the population depend on them, and they are ready to welcome more. - Further, Qualcomm has confirmed that the Snapdragon Satellite technology is compatible with in-house mobile platform tiers and other upcoming 5G-based Modem-RF systems.
- As the latest build-up confirms, Qualcomm has plans to expand the availability of Snapdragon Satellite across an entire range of upcoming processors. Starting from the Snapdragon 8 series to the 4 series. That way, it is clear that satellite connectivity will soon be available across the mid-range, high-range, and premium category smartphones.
Future perspective
- With the expansion of Snapdragon Satellite’s ecosystem, app developers can come up with unique and branded services, reaping all the benefits of satellite-based connectivity.
- Also, the same does promise to support Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) over 5G as the satellite infrastructure for the same, along with constellations, becomes available.
- As per recent news, the Snapdragon Satellite technology will be compatible with upcoming smartphones. And the list includes names like Oppo, Honor, Nothing, Motorola, Xiaomi, and Vivo.
- Customers can expect the availability of these snapdragon satellite-compatible smartphones in the market by the second half of the year. However, till now, satellite-based connectivity is expected to be limited to devices in Europe and North America.
Technological innovations are at their peak, and the world gets to explore something new on a daily basis. It is the main focus of the companies offering connectivity and communication to keep people in sync and help them reach out to the outer world for adequate support in times of emergencies.
