Editorial photo #13457705 Science and Technology
Mobile World Congress
A specialized hybrid satellite smartphone, featuring a prominent integrated rectangular high-gain antenna, is demonstrated for mission-critical communications at the Satellite Pavilion during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on March 5, 2026. This ruggedized terminal is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile platform, integrated with the Snapdragon X75 5G Modem-RF System, which supports 3GPP Release-17 Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) standards for satellite-to-phone connectivity. The device is equipped with a 50-megapixel primary camera sensor (f/1.9 aperture) and a secondary 8-megapixel thermal imaging sensor for industrial inspections in remote areas. The elongated rectangular antenna is specifically designed to facilitate dual-band communication with L-band and S-band satellite constellations, ensuring stable voice and high-speed data transmission even in environments without terrestrial cellular coverage. The demonstration highlights the device's IP68 water resistance and its ability to act as a portable Wi-Fi hotspot via satellite for other tactical devices in the field. (Photo by Joan Cros/NurPhoto)
