Low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication connectivity has been having a bit of a week, with rumours about the iPhone 13 possibly (but not likely) getting the feature. And rumour has it, it seems like the Huawei Mate 50 might be getting a similar feature too.
To give you the gist of the iPhone 13 rumours, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the upcoming iPhone 13 would likely feature LEO satellite connection. Having it would “allow its users to make calls and send messages in areas without 4G or 5G coverage”—which would be useful for users in underserved and vulnerable regions.
However, mobile and 5G specialist Sacha Segan said that there were problems with the report. Bloomberg also reported that the feature would likely only let users text services and contacts during emergencies.
Now, a Weibo tipster revealed that the upcoming Huawei Mate 50 series is equipped with support for China’s Beidou satellite system, and “will offer satellite-based SMS service”. The feature allows users to communicate using the satellite’s short message service—even when there is no mobile signal reception. The tipster also adds that other Chinese smartphone brands “will probably support satellite connectivity by the end of this year”.
Since the Huawei P50 series was only launched in late July, the upcoming Huawei Mate 50 and Mate 50 Pro are said to be launching much later sometime during the first half of 2022. It is worth pointing out that the Huawei P40 series have started offering “high precision navigation” driven by Beidou. Beidou claims to be superior to GPS as it offers better accuracy up to 5 metres.
Apple plans to debut the iPhone 13 line on the third week of September. It expected that the next iPhone could have the hardware needed for satellite communications, but those features are unlikely to be ready before the iPhone 13 debut.
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