Can a Budget Phone "Reach for the Stars"? Honor X60 Series Features Satellite Communication, Sparking a New Market Trend

Can a Budget Phone "Reach for the Stars"? Honor X60 Series Features Satellite Communication, Sparking a New Market TrendFollowing curved screens, periscope telephoto lenses, IP68 rating, and LTPO displays, satellite communication is now making its way down to the budget phone segment! Recently, Jiang Hairong, CMO of Honor Terminal Co., Ltd

Can a Budget Phone "Reach for the Stars"? Honor X60 Series Features Satellite Communication, Sparking a New Market Trend

Following curved screens, periscope telephoto lenses, IP68 rating, and LTPO displays, satellite communication is now making its way down to the budget phone segment! Recently, Jiang Hairong, CMO of Honor Terminal Co., Ltd. China, announced that the Honor X60 series will feature satellite communication, creating a new peak in communication technology. Considering the starting price of the Honor X50 at 1399 yuan, the satellite communication version of the Honor X60 series could be priced as low as within 2000 yuan, or possibly between 2000 to 3000 yuan, potentially becoming the most affordable satellite communication phone on the market.

Since the release of the Huawei Mate50 series with satellite SMS capability, and the Mate60 series with dual satellite communication, just two years have passed. Android phone manufacturers have followed Huawei's footsteps, but only launched one generation of products with satellite communication support. While technology trickling down to the phone industry is common, satellite communication technology has been adopted in smartphones for such a short time. The previous leaks of its inclusion in non-flagship models like the nova 13 Ultra and Find X8 Pro were understandable. However, its inclusion in the Honor X60 series, positioned for entry-level to mid-range markets, is quite surprising. From a consumer perspective, we need to consider whether a satellite communication phone priced below 3000 yuan is truly worth buying.

Is It Worth It for a One-Time Use?

Since the emergence of satellite communication technology, there's a popular saying circulating online: You might not need it, but you can't live without it. Its true value comes in those critical moments when it can save lives. Using it once can make it worth its price. Yu Chengdong, Chairman of Huawei's Consumer Business Group, even stated that satellite communication technology is "used once in a lifetime, but saves a lifetime."

However, in the past, satellite communication functionality was only available on top-tier flagships like the Huawei Mate60Pro/Pro+, Xiaomi 14 Ultra, and Find X7 Ultra. The high price acted as a barrier for users to experience this technology. The Honor X60 series, aiming for entry-level to mid-range markets, will likely come with a full package for under 3000 yuan, offering satellite communication capabilities to consumers with limited budgets.

Is Satellite Communication a "Real Need"?

However, whether or not to buy a satellite communication phone shouldn't solely depend on how advanced the feature is but rather on your personal need. As of 2023, there are approximately 9 million 4G base stations worldwide, with China accounting for over 60% of them, with around 6 million. By May 2024, China had built a total of 3.837 million 5G base stations, exceeding 60% of the global total. This vast number of base stations provides a robust communication foundation for users in China, with 4G or 5G coverage reaching even remote rural areas. In everyday life, we're likely to encounter poor signal only in limited places like underground parking garages and elevators, making it challenging even for basic internet access.

Unless you frequently work in remote areas like geological exploration personnel, or are an outdoor enthusiast engaging in camping or adventure activities, you might not find much practical use for satellite communication in your daily life.

Furthermore, using the satellite call feature requires a separate plan, which might be a waste of money for occasional users. The cost of the satellite module itself isn't actually very high. For example, the 16GB+512GB standard version of the OPPO Find X7 Ultra is currently priced at 100 yuan less than its satellite communication version. It's possible that due to the low cost of the satellite call function and its potential as a marketing highlight, phone manufacturers are opting to include it in their devices.

Overall, I believe that whether or not regular consumers choose to purchase a satellite communication phone depends largely on their individual needs. For adventure enthusiasts or those who often work outdoors, buying a budget-friendly phone like the Honor X60 with a satellite communication module is a great option.

The Race is On: Who Will Shape the Future of Satellite Communication?

Smartphones prioritize an overall user experience, aiming to be versatile without any major shortcomings. However, in some areas, they understandably lack the capabilities of specialized devices. Regarding satellite communication, current flagship phones can make calls and send text messages, offering similar communication capabilities to feature phones when 2G/3G/4G/5G signals are unavailable.

Professional satellite communication phones focus on durability and battery life. They excel in challenging outdoor environments, providing greater stability. Due to their limited functionality, their power consumption is relatively lower, resulting in longer battery life, making them ideal for outdoor workers.

There are also companies offering satellite communication accessories for regular phones. For example, the two-way Beidou satellite communication terminal from Quixun Location is about the size of a power bank, supporting independent connection to Beidou satellites as well as phone connection via Bluetooth. Users can send and receive SMS through the app, and it is priced at only 999 yuan, including a three-year subscription (1500 SMS messages).

Currently, satellite communication features on smartphones have limited capabilities, mainly restricted to making calls and sending text messages, failing to meet users' diverse needs. However, the technology is still in its early stages of integration with smartphones, leaving significant room for future evolution. Major players like Honor, Huawei, and OPPO are driving its adoption, aiming to bring this "reach for the stars" technology to more devices.

Satellite communication has also become a new hotspot in the tech industry. Beyond mobile phone giants, more and more tech companies, even automotive giants, are investing in the technology. Elon Musk's vast empire, spanning automobiles, aerospace, and AI, includes SpaceX's Starlink project, renowned almost as much as Tesla cars. Starlink closely resembles satellite communication, primarily offering internet services to areas lacking network coverage. Previously, it required a receiver, but the new generation of Starlink satellites support direct connection without the need for a satellite communication module on the phone.

Meanwhile, "China's Starlink" is known as the Thousand Sail Constellation, which successfully launched its first batch of 18 constellation satellites on August 6th, officially deploying the project. The project is implemented by Shanghai Yuanxin Satellite Technology Co., Ltd. Thousand Sail Constellation is divided into three phases: the first phase, planned for completion by 2025, will deploy 648 satellites to provide coverage for localized satellite networks. The second phase, planned for 2027, aims to achieve global network coverage based on the already launched 648 satellites, incorporating laser communication between satellites. The third phase, planned for 2030, will deploy 1500 satellites to enable direct internet access from mobile phones.

Chinese automaker Geely has also unveiled its Future Travel Constellation plan. The goal is to deploy 72 satellites in the first phase, enabling real-time data communication globally. The second phase will deploy 264 direct-connect satellites, providing direct satellite services to users worldwide. The third phase aims to deploy 5676 communication satellites to provide broadband internet access to users.

The cost of installing base stations in remote regions can be higher than deploying communication satellites. Once mobile satellite communication enables broadband internet access, users can enjoy uninterrupted internet connectivity wherever they go, offering greater practicality than the current use of satellite calls and text messages.

The actions of SpaceX, Shanghai Yuanxin Satellite Technology Co., Ltd., and Geely clearly indicate that satellite communication technology, capable of offering a more complete internet experience, has become a blue ocean for giant competition and a crucial component of the next generation 6G network.

Careful Consideration of Configuration Downward Migration

When budget phones were commonly equipped with straight screens, Honor's X series took the lead, bringing curved screens to entry-level smartphones. Later, the pinnacle of the series, the Honor X50, achieved over 15 million units in sales thanks to its compelling features, including price-performance ratio, performance, screen, system fluency, battery life, and durability.

Incorporating satellite communication capabilities, originally reserved for flagship models, into a phone priced under 3000 yuan, possibly even under 2000 yuan, demonstrates Honor's continued high expectations for this series. However, in the comment section of Jiang Hairong's Weibo post, many consumers expressed a desire for Honor to equip the X60 series with features like NFC and infrared.

Bringing down features previously exclusive to high-end devices is a strategy to achieve differentiation at the same price point, enhance product competitiveness, and create marketing-friendly highlights. The recent surge in popularity of satellite communication technology offers significant hype, but from a practical standpoint, its target audience is narrower compared to features like NFC and infrared.

For entry-level to mid-range phone users, satellite communication functionality, while unique, pales in comparison to factors like performance, battery life, screen quality, imaging, and speaker capabilities. This is why so many users have urged Honor to include infrared and NFC in the X series and improve the phone's overall