Following Apple’s massive announcement on the iPhone 14 launch occasion late final 12 months, Qualcomm has determined to observe Cupertino’s lead and convey satellite tv for pc messaging to sure high-end Android telephones. And in some methods it’s going to be higher–though you’ll in all probability must pay for the privilege.
Snapdragon Satellite will arrive on premium Android handsets within the second half of 2023, Qualcomm says, though availability will likely be a call for producers and cellular service suppliers. Our colleagues on Tech Advisor are at the moment looking for clarification on whether or not already-announced telephones with Qualcomm’s newest high-end cellular chipset will assist the service, nevertheless it seems seemingly that they gained’t.
So it’s not clear but which telephones will get the brand new tech first, or in any respect: a not untypical state of affairs with Android gadgets. The most attention-grabbing half, nevertheless, is the way in which wherein Snapdragon Satellite surpasses Apple’s satellite tv for pc providing, or will sooner or later.
In sensible phrases the iPhone 14’s Emergency SOS by way of satellite tv for pc is a one-way messaging service. Strictly talking your emergency contacts can reply to the messages they obtain, however solely by replying YES or NO when related, whereas medical personnel might reply with further messages to hunt additional data. But it doesn’t provide the alternative to alternate feedback backwards and forwards with a liked one.
Apple
Snapdragon Satellite gained’t allow you to do this both, at the least not at first, however finally it would assist two-way satellite-based messaging: Qualcomm says it is a world first. One day Android customers may be capable of ship and obtain messages with out connecting to a standard cellular community, an altogether extra interesting idea than a service restricted solely to alerting contacts about emergencies, which the common cellphone proprietor in all probability struggles to think about themselves being concerned in.
But what about value? This stays a thriller. Qualcomm hasn’t made any grand claims concerning the service being bundled at no cost with new purchases, as Apple was capable of do–Emergency SOS by way of satellite tv for pc is free for 2 years after shopping for a 14-series iPhone, though we don’t but know the way a lot it’ll value after that–however as a chipmaker moderately than a cellphone producer it wouldn’t be ready to take action anyway. Pricing, like availability, will likely be a call for the service suppliers and handset producers.
Even if it does require an extra charge, nevertheless, and even when the two-way a part of the providing stays a way off, the brand new service represents a knock to Apple’s superiority on this space. It will likely be attention-grabbing to see how Cupertino responds. As ever, competitors is nice for the person, and maybe it will tee up an announcement for the iPhone 15 launch within the fall.
Source: www.macworld.com
