Huawei has just announced its latest phones, the Pura 70 line. There are plenty of updates and improvements, including a retractable zoom lens, but the company has also introduced a key communications feature: Satellite+ will allow images to be sent via satellite when there is no cellular connectivity.
This is a first for a conventional phone and follows last fall’s announcement of the Huawei Mate 60 Pro, which was also a world first, in this case the first to enable satellite phone calls. This capability is also present on the new Huawei Pura 70 Ultra.
The new model’s image sending feature is also touted as a tool to use in an emergency, when you’re in a location without cellular connectivity. To send images via satellite, with its limited bandwidth, the files are heavily compressed, which can result in image distortion or blurring. Hence the emphasis that this feature is intended for emergency use only.
To use it fully, the transmitter and receiver phones require a special application, called Changlian. If the phone you’re sending the message to doesn’t have it, as Huawei’s Bruce Lee explains, the recipient will only see a regular text message.
However, it is a very big step forward and very valuable if, for example, it can indicate your location in a way that makes it easier for emergency services to locate you.
Other details revealed so far, spotted by Huawei Central, include the fact that you can edit a message after it’s sent. It also explains: “Huawei Pura 70 Ultra also supports wireless communication using advanced fusion (Lingxi Antenna, Lingxi Network and Lingxi AI Algorithm) for a better, stable and strong communication experience in harsh conditions. weak signal. »
Huawei also released a video showing how it is used.
Apple’s Satellite Connection was revolutionary, introducing clever software to help users point the iPhone directly at a satellite passing overhead. And there have been many stories of lives saved thanks to this feature.
So, seeing something even more advanced coming to Huawei’s handsets will surely get Apple and its competitors thinking about what more they can do.
By the way, if you’ve noticed different branding on the latest phones, well done. The Pura 70 is a direct sequel to last year’s P60. This fall, we may see if Huawei rebrands its M series phones with a new name. It is not yet clear what this could be.