The iPhone 14 series brought the first-ever satellite connectivity to smartphones last year and many have expected other brands to follow suit, especially those in the Android circuit. But as of today, you don’t have any Android smartphone with the feature, and the wait for the feature from brands like Samsung could be a bit longer as Qualcomm has pulled the plug on a major part of its focus on satellite connectivity for smartphones.
Interestingly, the chip giant has ended its partnership with a company called Iridium which is a core part of the satellite comms sector.
In fact, the satellite comms company pointed out that the technology was ready but for some reason the phone makers decided they don’t want to use the company’s tech, which seems to have made it easy for Qualcomm to end the partnership. The timing of this release suggests the Snapdragon Satellite tech will not be coming to Android 14-based phones anytime soon.
But what does this mean for the feature and will it ever make its way to Android users? By the looks of it, brands are continuing with their focus on the technology albeit without opting for the Snapdragon Satellite chip it seems.
It is likely that phone makers could be finding the cost of using the chip on the premium side, forcing them to look at basic tech which could ensure that the final price of the smartphone doesn’t shoot up for the consumers. Apple is one of the first to bring the feature on smartphones, first time with the iPhone 14 model in select countries.
The company offered the service for free but that is only applicable for 2 years. Satellite comms come in handy when you are going to a remote area and want to contact the emergency services to help you rescue from the location. It has been suggested that brands like Huawei, Samsung, and Google with Android 14 have already worked on bringing the technology in their upcoming phones.
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