Motorola is apparently gearing up to launch a new smartphone, but it isn’t like its usual offering. The Defy 5G is a rugged smartphone that is being built in collaboration with another brand and will offer a unique system for satellite messaging. Here are all the details.

The company is partnering with British phone maker Bullitt Group to build this new rugged phone. Interestingly enough, this firm has also worked with CAT for their rugged phones as well. Last year, it had announced that it has plans to launch the world’s first smartphone that will feature a two way satellite messaging. This device in question will be the Motorola Defy 5G. Bullitt has been developing this technology by working with the a known chipmaker and a satellite network infrastructure partner for the past two years.

This will enable the upcoming handset to seamlessly switch between cellular, WiFi, and satellite connectivity. The feature is dubbed as the Bullitt Satellite Connect and is a collaborative effort with Bullitt, MediaTek, and Skylo. If the device can’t connect via a WiFi or a cellular as usual, Bullitt’s messaging system will connect through a satellite. Notably, anyone on the receiving end will get a regular SMS on their phones and can even respond by using the Bullitt Satellite Messenger app.

While finer details are not known, Bullitt stated that “the cost of the messages will be deducted from the satellite messaging subscriber’s plan with no cost to the recipient.” The subscription plans to start from as low as 4.99 US Dollars per month and the SOS Assistance but will be free for the first year. The Motorola Defy 5G rugged phone’s pricing is also unclear right now, but the announcement is likely to be sometime in the first quarter of 2023.

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Smartphone brands are showing a lot of interest in satellite messaging these days. Apple and Huawei have already added satellite connectivity features to their latest flagships, and Samsung is also rumored to be working on the same. Now to take things to the next level, Bullitt Group, a smartphone manufacturer based in the UK, has announced it will launch the world’s first smartphone with two-way satellite messaging technology in the first quarter of 2023.

Bullitt has partnered with leading chip manufacturer MediaTek to develop the upcoming smartphone. In order to enable direct-to-satellite communications in its next generation of 5G smartphones, the firm has been working with the semiconductor company for the past 18 months.

The company says it will be the first to use MediaTek’s 3GPP NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network) chipset, which was demonstrated earlier this year. In parallel, proprietary software and service components have been developed to support the OTT satellite messaging service.

It will take about ten seconds for the Bullitt-built phones to connect and send messages over satellite. When cellular and Wi-Fi reception is lost, the device will automatically switch to satellite connectivity. Details are still pretty limited, but the company says it will offer a seamless experience.

“We have known for a long time that the answer was in satellite, but an “invisible” and seamless integration into a smartphone creates enormous technical challenges. MediaTek and Bullitt share a pioneering spirit and a history of innovation so now, nearly two years into our relationship, we jointly stand at the forefront of a new era in telecommunications and the quickest, simplest way for our carrier channel partners to offer total peace of mind to their customers,” said Richard Wharton, co-founder at Bullitt Group.

As per the company, the first smartphones with two-way satellite service will be available in Q1 of 2023. They will offer a free year of emergency messaging. The pricing details of the upcoming Bullitt handsets are yet to be known.

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