The Huawei Watch Ultimate is capable of sending and receiving SMS messages via satellite connectivity, but it specifically uses the Beidou satellite network. This feature allows users to stay connected even when there is no terrestrial phone signal available. The Beidou system is China's indigenous satellite navigation system, and Huawei has integrated it into the Watch Ultimate to enable satellite SMS functionality.
The satellite SMS feature is activated by using a dedicated app on the watch, which requires users to install the latest Huawei Health app and update the watch's firmware to the latest version of HarmonyOS[2][10]. This capability is particularly useful in emergency situations where traditional cellular networks are unavailable.
While the Huawei Watch Ultimate supports two-way satellite SMS communication, it is specifically designed to work with the Beidou satellite network. There is no indication that it can receive SMS from other satellite networks like GPS or Galileo. The watch's satellite communication is tailored for use within regions covered by the Beidou system, primarily in China[11].
Huawei has also announced a successor, the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2, which will continue to support satellite SMS via Beidou, along with additional features like ultra-wideband (UWB) technology[7][9]. However, similar to its predecessor, it is expected to be compatible with the Beidou network rather than other satellite systems.
Citations:
[1] https://technode.com/2023/03/15/huawei-to-launch-satellite-connected-smartwatch/
[2] https://www.huaweicentral.com/huawei-watch-ultimate-satellite-sms-feature-update/
[3] https://consumer.huawei.com/en/support/content/en-us15952136/
[4] https://celest-watches.com/tag/huawei-watch-ultimate/
[5] https://root-nation.com/en/gadgets-en/wearables-en/en-huawei-watch-ultimate-design-review/
[6] https://root-nation.com/gadgets-en/wearables-en/en-huawei-watch-ultimate-review/
[7] https://www.batteriesfast.co.uk/blogs/archives/2850
[8] https://consumer.huawei.com/en/wearables/watch-ultimate/specs/
[9] https://www.huaweicentral.com/huawei-certifies-watch-ultimate-2-with-uwb-and-satellite-sms-support/
[10] https://www.vopmart.com/blog/post/Huawei-Watch-Ultimate-Review
[11] https://www.phonearena.com/reviews/huawei-watch-ultimate-review_id5760