The Bullitt company has partnered with Caterpillar and Motorola to offer a smartphone that is not only very resistant, but is also capable of sending SMS via satellite. We tell you.
If you want to send SMS by satellite today, it seems impossible. The iPhone 14s do not allow it, since they have been positioned on an SOS delivery system. Qualcomm has announced that its chips will soon be able to take advantage of it, but at the moment this is not the case. Therefore, we thought that it was still impossible to test this solution. A booth at MWC 2023 proved us wrong.
Caterpillar (now called Cat) already includes a model that can take advantage of satellite communication, the Cat S75. Yes, you read that right, Caterpillar, the construction equipment company, manages to beat Samsung, Apple and everyone else on a technology that is sure to win. No wonder the construction giant is interested, the use of satellite communication is obviously essential for workers in uncovered areas.
Be warned though, Caterpillar is not actually the manufacturer of this device, it is actually a company called Bullitt, which pays Caterpillar a license to sell their devices under a well-known acronym. In North America, this same Cat S75 is also branded as Motorola for easier selling there, where the brand is still in the top 3 sales.
geostationary orbit
Of course, Bullitt doesn’t have its own fleet of satellites. To use this new technology, the company relied on two service providers: Inmarsat and Echostar. These two companies give them access to a network of geostationary satellites, which means they are always in the same place relative to Earth’s orbit. The main interest for the user is that it is not necessary to raise the arm to obtain a connection, since the machine does not move above the head.
The Cat S75 can send SMS via satellite // Source: Frandroid
The Cat S75 can send SMS via satellite // Source: Frandroid
The Cat S75 can send SMS via satellite // Source: Frandroid
The Cat S75 can send SMS via satellite // Source: Frandroid
Ultimately, Bullitt’s coverage is meant to be relatively extensive, even if the company excludes certain areas that wouldn’t necessarily be used every day, like the oceans. By the end of March, all of Europe and the United States should be covered. Australia, New Zealand, Latin America and Africa are expected to follow in 2023.
It works well ?
During a demo, a Bullitt member sent an SMS from the Cat S75 to a regular smartphone. The operation took about a minute in total. It takes about 30 seconds to establish the connection and 30 seconds to receive the text once it’s gone. Although it may seem a bit long, in a textual exchange in an emergency situation, we can argue that waiting just one minute is already very convincing.
To take advantage of the service, simply purchase the smartphone and you will have access to 12 months of free SOS shipping. Sending SMS, limited to 35 per month, costs 5 euros per month. Once the 12 months have elapsed, to continue benefiting from the SOS, you have to pay 3 euros per month.
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