A new smartphone with satellite connectivity for both consumers and businesses will be released by Thuraya, the UAE’s leading satellite telecommunications provider. Although the official launch is scheduled for September, the phone will be on display in the coming days at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
According to the company, the “Skyphone by Thuraya” enables users to “enjoy an every-day smartphone” with satellite connectivity (calls and SMS) anywhere within the Thuraya satellite coverage across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia for the first time ever.
“Whether the customer is in the heart of a bustling city, undertaking frequent overseas travel, trekking in remote areas, venturing through the desert, or sailing at sea, the Skyphone by Thuraya always means that they will stay connected,” stated the statement.
It is unknown what the price point is. The device provides global cellphone coverage by supporting terrestrial 5G, 4G, 3G, and 2G frequency bands.
It has a Qualcomm Octa-core Kryo processor for impressive speed and performance, running on the Android 14 operating system. With Gorilla glass protecting the 6.67-inch Amoled screen, the phone is rated “IP67.” Retractable satellite antenna that can be extended to enable satellite services is one of the design’s features.
There is one integrated front camera and three rear cameras. The Skyphone allows users to extend their coverage to areas not covered by cellular towers by having two nano-SIM card slots for both terrestrial and satellite connections. (The smartphone is also compatible with SIM cards from mobile operators from any of the more than 370 Thuraya “roaming partners” across more than 170 nations.
Since this week, Thuraya has been a part of Yahsat, an Abu Dhabi-based company that announced smartphone to satellite connectivity services via its network.
