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OPPO teases satellite connectivity in Find X7 Pro, but global launch remains uncertain
- OPPO has announced that its next flagship, likely the Find X7 Pro, will support satellite communication technology.
- However, details regarding the timeline, regional support, and technology partners remain undisclosed.
- Even if the Find X7 Pro launches globally, it may support satellite communication tech only in certain regions.
Smartphone satellite connectivity is one of those rare features you hope you never have to use, but you’d be grateful to have it when you do. Android was supposed to get its sat-com revolution with the Snapdragon Satellite in H2 2023, but that project is no longer going ahead as Qualcomm has terminated its partnership with Iridium. There’s still a sliver of hope that we’ll get phones with satellite connectivity soon, and that is bolstered by OPPO’s new announcement that the next Find flagship will come with satellite connectivity features.
OPPO has announced that the next-generation Find flagship will support satellite communication technology. While not explicitly named, we presume this refers to the feature coming to the OPPO Find X7 Pro.
OPPO’s announcement does not mention any further details on the timeline or regional support, so we are left to fill in by projecting leaks and rumors.
With the disbanding of Snapdragon Satellite, it is unknown what technology partners OPPO has turned to to bring satellite communication to its device. The phone is rumored to come with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, so the tech will be compatible with Qualcomm SoCs in some way.
However, OPPO has not mentioned anything about a global release of the phone. OPPO chose to skip an international launch for the previous Find X6 Pro flagship, and nothing so far indicates that the Find X7 Pro will launch internationally.
Even if the phone does launch globally, satellite communication is a regionally-restricted feature. Global OEMs like Apple focused the feature on the US, while Snapdragon Satellite aimed to target North America and Europe. Within the context of an announcement in China and not globally, there’s a possibility that the satellite communication feature remains restricted to China even if the phone is made widely available.
It remains to be seen if OPPO brings this feature to more markets through the Find X7 Pro or one of its sub-brands. We cross our fingers that it does.