There are more and more satellites in orbit, and there are already mobile phones that take advantage of this. Those that have the capacity to make voice calls using satellites are called ‘satellite phones’. We saw the first of these phones in 2019 and its price exceeded $ 1,200.

The advantage of satellite phone is Worldwide coverage in the app. In addition to connecting to traditional telephone networks, it also connects to satellite networks.

During the last Mobile World Congress, we had the opportunity to see the Skyphone, a ‘satellite phone’ created by Arab Emirates company Thuraya, which has been specializing in such satellite-connected mobile phones for several years.

Skyphone is scheduled to arrive in Q3 2024 and is touted as the “first smartphone with cellular and satellite connectivity.” We have a pretty standard Android mobile phone, but with the addition of the antenna that allows us to connect to the satellite network. However they promise to have Coverage in more than 150 countries and cooperation with more than 390 operators. Beyond that, we have a mobile phone with a 6.67″ AMOLED screen, a Qualcomm processor, a triple camera and a 50-megapixel front camera.

With satellite phones, it is possible to travel to remote areas and still have coverage. It’s still a niche product at the moment, but the ability to make these calls via satellite will become increasingly common. The first is the widespread use of the technology that enables this, and the second is that the number of satellite networks is increasing at a dizzying pace.

Skyphone is not the only known model. Mate 60 Pro, Huawei’s beast also offers satellite calls. The device has a 5G processor and satellite connectivity. However, the device was not available for sale in Europe.

Although Apple has flirted with satellite search, it has not yet become a definitive bet. The industry expects satellite companies, operators and technologies to adapt to expand its use.

This has not happened yet. Qualcomm knows this well and presented it at the beginning of 2023 Snapdragon SatelliteSolution so that all devices integrating Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processors can offer these calls.

To do this, they leveraged the Iridium network, which is based on 66 low-orbit satellites launched in the 2000s. However, in November last year Qualcomm decided to end its alliance with Iridium and discontinued the Snapdragon Satellite solution.

“Despite this technical achievement, smartphone manufacturers have not included it in their devices,” Iridium said. “Manufacturers prefer standard satellite solutions,” Cristiano Amon told CNBC.

To date, none of the satellite networks offered on smartphones has exceeded 100 satellites in orbit. This situation is close to changing completely. Starlink says it will start offering short message service (SMS) in 2024, and next year, Voice search will be possible in 2025 and uses internet data via satellite network. With a stronger satellite network, manufacturers like Qualcomm can get back into business.

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