Mobile World Congress (MWC) opens for business soon, and what Apple is doing usually casts a shadow at the world’s biggest mobile industry event. With that in mind, let’s note the plethora of satellite communication tools being introduced in the prelude to this year’s show.
Satellite’s gone, way up to…
Apple introduced the first generation of satellite communications via smartphones in September 2022, through a huge, multi-year deal, with GlobalStar. History shows Apple’s service — Emergency SOS via Satellite — reached market first. It is now available in multiple nations with iPhone 14.
As MWC approaches, we’ve already seen announcements outlining new products and solutions that use this technology. Here’s a short, cherry-picked selection:
- Samsung announced new technologies and plans for satellite phones.
- UK company Bullitt Group and Motorola Mobility announced a new Bluetooth “satellite hotspot” that lets users send and receive text messages via satellite using any iOS or Android smartphone.
- Bullitt also introduced its own CAT S75 phone with such messaging built in.
- Qualcomm recently introduced Snapdragon Satellite, its own two-way messaging solution for high-end Android devices that uses Iridium satellites.
- MediaTek introduced support for 3GPP NTN (satellite messaging). This is actually the chip used in the new CAT S75 Bullit phone.
- Amazon and Telesat are also geared up for satellite services.
It’s interesting that all these devices seem to support emergency connections, location sharing, and other useful features. And while some already offer a more “normal” messaging experience than you currently get with Apple’s implementation, the direction of travel seems the same. Analysts expect nearly all major satellite operators will be using their Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites for such commercial applications.
Messaging for the rest of us
“Two-way satellite communications on smartphones and other devices…
2023-02-24 19:00:02
Article from www.computerworld.com
At the recent Mobile World Congress event held in Barcelona, tech giant Apple Inc. unveiled a revolutionary new emergency response system that could revolutionize how we respond to emergency situations: the iPhone Emergency SOS.
The iPhone Emergency SOS, when activated, automatically contacts emergency services with vital information about the user. This information can include the user’s name and contact information, medical history, and the user’s current location. It can also send a text alert to designated contacts – such as family members or emergency contacts – letting them know that help is being sought.
The decision to develop the iPhone Emergency SOS came from Apple’s desire to make emergency response faster, easier and more reliable. With the iPhone Emergency SOS, emergency response is far quicker and more accurate than ever before.
The introduction of the iPhone Emergency SOS has already sparked an intense competition amongst tech firms. Apple is looking to develop an even more advanced version of the system in the future, while rival companies Google and Samsung have announced plans to develop their own emergency response systems.
It appears to be a new space race of sorts, made up of tech giants, all eager to be the first to design the next generation of emergency response systems.
It remains to be seen which company will come out on top, but it’s a thrilling prospect and one that could potentially save countless lives in the future.
