A new partnership between the satellite phone firm Iridium and chip giant Qualcomm will bring satellite connectivity to premium Android smartphones later in the year.

It means that in places where there is no mobile coverage, handsets can connect with passing satellites to send and receive messages.

Qualcomm's chips are found in many Android-powered smartphones.

Apple announced a satellite feature for the iPhone 14 in September 2022.

The service is currently only available for sending and receiving basic text messages in an emergency.

It is to be hoped they get better reception than satellite phones. Should be better if they use LEO instead of GEO satellites but I dont think Iridium does use them.

To help decisions: various forums

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f129/starlink-rv-vs-iridium-go-exec-271423.html

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f129/starlink-rv-vs-iridium-go-exec-271423-2.html

They have satellite wi-fi in the states. Haven't tried it yet but it's nice to see phones catching up as most people don't carry a PC with them everywhere. ????