The Bullitt Group is the company behind CAT-branded secure smartphones. But the firm’s biggest announcement at CES 2023 wasn’t a new device. Instead, a new two-way satellite messaging service has been announced that will be available on Motorola devices.
The Bullitt Satellite Connect will be commercially available in Q1 2023 and will allow users to send and receive text messages, send SOS requests and share their location via satellite. The service will be implemented in cooperation with Skylo and Inmarsat.
The company has confirmed that the service will debut on the upcoming 5G-secured Motorola Defy smartphone. Bullitt said more details about the phone would be available soon. However, there are reasons to believe that the device will appear in the first quarter of 2023 along with satellite messaging service.
Also read: Motorola to introduce ThinkPhone business smartphones in the coming days
If you want this feature but do not like Motorola phones, a CAT phone will also offer this feature in the future. It will also bring intelligent switching between satellite and cellular using a MediaTek chip.
How satellite messaging works
Bullitt says that in order to use the Satellite Connect service, you’ll need to use its own free Bullitt Satellite Messenger app. For now, it only supports text and emojis. But the company told Android Authority that supports for images, audio, and video will be implemented as the technology develops.
“Anyone with the free Android or iOS application installed can receive and respond to messages sent from Bullitt Satellite Messenger over IP or satellite, and those without the app will receive messages as an SMS, with an invitation to download the app to respond,” the company explained. Don’t have a phone with satellite communication support? Then you can still use the application via Wi-Fi or a cellular connection.
The brand confirmed that Bullitt Satellite Connect subscription plans would start at $4.99 per month. The brand also notes that the SOS assistance functionality will be available as a 12-month trial version.
A representative of Bullitt later confirmed that the service would be launched in Europe and North America in Q1, 2023. The will be followed by Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America sometime in the first half of 2023. It will appear in other markets in the second half of the year.
