Qualcomm has ditched its satellite texting project due to lack of interest

Qualcomm had this cool idea called Snapdragon Satellite, which would let Android users send texts through satellites when they had no regular cell service. It was kind of like Qualcomm’s answer to Apple’s emergency SOS feature.

But, here’s the bummer – it didn’t quite work out. Qualcomm teamed up with a company called Iridium to make it happen, and they did all the tech development and even showed it off. But, guess what? Smartphone makers weren’t feeling it. They didn’t include the satellite texting tech in their devices.

Qualcomm says that smartphone makers want more open solutions for satellite stuff, not necessarily one tied to Qualcomm. Plus, the cost of satellite texting might have scared off some manufacturers. Meanwhile, Apple’s doing its emergency SOS thing and footing the bill.

Now, Qualcomm and Iridium are parting ways, and Iridium is looking to team up directly with smartphone companies and other tech players. On the flip side, Apple is leveling up its emergency SOS by adding crash detection to the mix for iPhone 15.

Oh, and in another corner, Starlink is getting ready to drop its satellite SMS service next year. They’re planning to offer satellite-powered voice and data functions straight to phones, so you might not even need a Starlink terminal nearby.