The first phone maker to add satellite texting to its devices is... Huawei

Image: Huawei

The ability to send texts via satellite communication is expected to be a feature of the upcoming iPhone 14. China has a global satellite network that will allow for communication in areas without cellular signal.

The flagship of the series is the 4G-only version of the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip. The 50 Pro has a larger display with a 120Hz refresh rate, while the mate 50 has a smaller display with a 90Hz refresh rate. The main camera has a variable-aperture lens with stops from f/1.4 to f/6, so it is neat, but it is not likely to make a difference in depth.

The standard Mate 50 has 100x digital zoom with a lower-res 12-megapixel sensor, while the Pro has an upgraded 64-megapixel camera with a 200x digital zoom, which is the same as the standard model.

Image: Huawei

Satellite-based communication is something that you are hearing a lot about. This feature is going to be brought to T-Mobile subscribers by way of Starlink satellites. Rumors of Apple's satellite messaging feature have been floating around for a while.

The technology will probably be limited at first. Voice calls and data won't be available until later, but T-Mobile says it will allow for text and picture messaging. The phones will only be able to send texts by satellite, and won't be able to receive them. Satellite-based texting aims to provide an emergency connection in places without signal to get urgent messages out instead of a way to keep up with your group chats while you are out of cell range. We will have to wait at least a little longer for the feature in the US to be available.