British rugged phone maker Bullitt has unveiled its first satellite-enabled smartphones that can send and receive text messages outside of cellular coverage. Designed for the European, Middle Eastern and African markets, the Caterpillar-branded Cat S75 is available for pre-order starting at €599 ($634).

Prices for the Motorola Defy 2 start at $599, which Bullitt says will be available in select carriers in North America, Latin America and Canada from April. Both Android phones have 6.6-inch screens and the ability to connect to geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites in addition to terrestrial 5G networks without the need for an external antenna, thanks to hardware from Taiwanese chip maker MediaTek.

Smartphones are designed to look for a GEO connection if they cannot connect to a cellular or Wi-Fi network. To respond, recipients of text messages sent from space must install the satellite’s own Bullitt messaging app, available for Android and iPhone users.

The service is provided by Silicon Valley startup Skylo and its partnership with GEO operators, including Inmarsat, to use its satellites for a separate business specializing in connecting remote Internet of Things (IoT) devices. These satellite services will be available to customers in Europe and North America by the end of March, said Tim Shepherd, Bullitt’s senior director of applications and product marketing.

It is scheduled to be available in mid-2023 in Australia, New Zealand, Latin America and Africa. Shepherd said satellite messages will initially be limited to 140 bytes. Space Newsis 140 characters in most languages. He said users will be able to share their location, but gifs, images and audio services will require more bandwidth.

“The transition from reliable two-way text messaging via satellite to freer use of voice and data is largely a bandwidth issue,” he said via email.

“As new satellites are launched, and more importantly, as standards evolve to allow higher throughput over the satellite link… Bullitt and other potential services will be able to adapt the components of our platform to ensure users are provided with the voice and services they need.” more data.”