Android Phones To Have Satellite Connectivity Which Will Make Users To Browse Without Data

A new partnership between the satellite phone firm Iridium and chip giant Qualcomm will bring satellite connectivity to premium Android smartphones later in the year.

It means that in places where there is no mobile coverage, handsets can connect with passing satellites to send and receive messages.

Qualcomm's chips are found in many Android-powered smartphones.

Apple announced a satellite feature for the iPhone 14 in September 2022.

The service is currently only available for sending and receiving basic text messages in an emergency. 

British smartphone maker Bullitt was the first to launch its own satellite service, beating Apple to the post. It is also for emergency use, and will be available in selected areas when first rolled out.

The new partnership will make the same service accessible to millions more smartphone users, without tying them to a particular brand - but it will be down to the manufacturer to enable it.

Iridium is the original satellite phone system, sending its first satellite in to orbit in 1997. It completed a refresh of its network of 75 spacecraft in 2019.

The satellites cover the entire globe and fly in low orbit, around 485 miles (780km) above the Earth, and groups of them can communicate with each other, passing data between them.

Qualcomm said that at first the new feature, called Snapdragon Satellite, will only be incorporated into its premium chips so is unlikely to appear in budget devices.