Huawei aims to democratize satellite connectivity: it will also be available for low-budget devices

Among Huawei’s goals has always been to make connectivity satellite a standard and accessible feature for smartphones, no longer limited to specialist devices or extreme emergency situations. This technology began to be implemented on smartphones in 2022, and the Chinese giant was among the first brands to use it (alongside Cupertino).

Now the company promises a major step forward: Richard Yu – head of Huawei Consumer Business Group – has announced good news for all brand enthusiasts. The company will extend satellite connectivity to budget devices, removing yet another barrier to access this technology.

Huawei promises satellite connectivity also aboard affordable smartphones and wearables

Usually satellite communication is reserved for high-end models: it originated as a premium feature (even though it has not found the expected implementation) but thanks to some brands it has been expanded to the high or upper-mid range. A striking example is Honor Power, a device of around €300 at the exchange rate – presented only in China.

The announcement from President Richard Yu adds new life to the brand: according to the executive, mobile networks are not currently sufficient to guarantee maximum coverage worldwide. Consequently, there is a need for phones with satellite connectivity, a solution that will find space also on budget models (both smartphones and smartwatches).

Huawei aims to turn this feature into a standard. Moreover, the service will not only cover SOS messages but also the sending and receiving of standard text messages. Additionally, the company is reportedly focusing heavily on AI-based encoding and decoding of voice messages via satellite.

The situation in Italy

Unfortunately, Huawei’s satellite connectivity features are not usable in Italy. At the moment, the integration of this functionality is led by Apple which allows sending SOS messages to request assistance in places without cellular or WiFi coverage. Also Google allows using SOS, but only on devices of the Pixel 9 and 10 series (except 9a). As for Samsung, the Galaxy S26 series (but also S25) features satellite support but not in Italy.

As seen above, the majority of compatible smartphones allow sending emergency messages with GPS location, useful when dealing with dead zones (no coverage). Satellite communication enables sending and receiving data by connecting directly to satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), overcoming the limitations of terrestrial networks.