As the name suggests, Snapdragon Satellite Link represents a new satellite communication method developed by Qualcomm as a competitor to many companies from Apple to Huawei. Moreover, he placed this technology on smartphones without anyone knowing. Here are the details…
How does Snapdragon Satellite Link work? Which phones will get Snapdragon Satellite Link?
Qualcomm has partnered with Virginia-based Iridium Communications, which operates an orbital network of 66 satellites. This is similar to Apple’s partnership with Globalstar, a rival orbital network. However, Qualcomm and Iridium have an advantage. Snapdragon Satellite Link will be available in more regions around the world.
Also, Qualcomm says its flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip is already compatible with satellite connectivity. However, this feature is not ready yet and is closed to the public. Therefore, if you have a phone that uses this processor, let’s say that satellite connection support will come in the near future.
Good news for those who will buy wireless headphones! Qualcomm made that feature free
Qualcomm has announced that it will add some of the aptX codec components supported by many brands to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP).
Qualcomm’s state-of-the-art Snapdragon X70 5G modem supports new ultra-high frequency bands. Thanks to these bands, the phone can communicate directly with low-orbit satellites in the sky. These satellites also cover a much larger area than typical ground-based base stations.
Also, Qualcomm boasts coverage (almost the world) as the iPhone satellite link was developed to not work above a certain latitude. Of course, let’s just say that it will only be available in North America and Europe for now.
The vast majority of Android smartphones already use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon family. This means that the feature will be made available to a wider audience, just like on iPhones. Moreover, it is expected to come to all 5G compatible Qualcomm chipsets going forward. This includes Snapdragon 4 series processors.
Like other smartphone satellite link options we’ve seen so far, Snapdragon Satellite Link is designed for scenarios where you lose cellular data and Wi-Fi coverage. In short, it will kick in when your phone is not picking up.
Of course, it goes without saying that in 2023 it is still expensive and slow to establish a connection from satellites. That’s why it’s not allowed to be used for everything. According to Qualcomm, Snapdragon Satellite Link will first support emergency texts.
Regular messaging like SMS will follow. The restriction here is 140 bytes per message. This may seem rather limiting. However, we can say that it is slightly better than Apple’s solution, which currently only works for Emergency SOS.