Soon .. text messages "out of coverage" for "Android" owners
Samsung is preparing to provide one of the services that distinguishes its rival Apple phones, which is the ability to send emergency text messages using satellites when you are out of range of your mobile phone network.
On iPhone 14 phones, the Foundation offers to send emergency texts using satellite messages, which is what "Android" will do later this year, to be able to transmit texts almost anywhere on the ground. And at the CES 2023 technical exhibition, the services provided by Qualcomm are the Snapdragon Satellite service, which uses the orbital satellite group of "Iridium" communications, consisting of 66 satellites, to transmit emergency texts and data, and at the end of the message is an emergency message.
The move puts Android phones on par with iPhone developments, given Iridium's global coverage area, which is comparable to that of the GlobalStar satellite used for Apple's emergency text messages. It also heralds an era in which emergency communications do not stop at the edge of mobile networks.
Like Apple's Emergency SOS feature, you'll simply need to point your phone skyward to get the best chance of connecting with a satellite to send your emergency message. Qualcomm said that if you can't link your phone to a satellite, all you have to do is try again in 8 to 12 minutes, when the satellites come back. In addition to sending emergency text messages, Qualcomm has plans to offer a premium service that allows the use of satellites to send data or texts for more social purposes, such as showing off, for example, by sailing in an area outside the range of the mobile phone network.