
DUBAI, UAE, April 11, 2018 - Thuraya Telecommunications Company unveiled the world's first satellite smartphone during its partner conference in Dubai. The Thuraya X5-Touch runs on the Android Operating System and has a 5.2 full HD touchscreen. It targets users who frequently move in and out of terrestrial coverage across a range of market sectors including government missions, energy projects, enterprise communications, and NGO deployments. The phone offers fast and simple connectivity on the move, in remote areas normally beyond the reach of smartphones.
The Thuraya X5-Touch is a step closer towards complete convergence between terrestrial and satellite communications through its full dual-mode and dual-SIM capability. It has two SIM-card slots for full user flexibility, and with the dual-active mode it has the ability to have both its satellite and GSM (2G, 3G, or 4G) modes always on' simultaneously.
To cater for the needs of users in harsh and remote conditions, the Thuraya X5-Touch comes with a Gorilla glass display, is the most rugged phone in the MSS industry with an IP67 standard for full dust and water protection, and complies with MIL standard. It also has a host of advanced features and functionalities including a high-capacity battery for extended talk time and standby time, a built-in SOS button and a front and rear camera.
Ahmed Al Shamsi, acting Chief Executive Officer at Thuraya said, Today Thuraya reached a new milestone by introducing another innovative and ground breaking product to the MSS market. Building on the heritage of a long line of successful satellite phones, this new development focuses primarily on delivering a unique and more interactive experience to our customers. With the Android platform there is already a multitude of Apps readily available to work on the Thuraya X5-Touch, and developers will have easy access to develop and customize Apps for the needs of their customers. It complements the Bring Your Own Application (BYOA) concept, customers have the flexibility to download any App of their choice, thereby breaking the paradigm and revolutionizing the way the satellite handset will be used
The Thuraya X5-Touch is equipped with GPS, Glonass, and BeiDou systems for advanced navigation and tracking functions, which are important safety features during critical situations and it comes with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC.
The Thuraya X5-Touch is a game changer and a big step forward in design and functionality placing it in a league of its own, said Alexander Lachner, Director of Voice Services at Thuraya. Creating smarter satellite phones is our constant goal and we are happy to offer our customers a new user experience that many in the industry have been asking and waiting for.
The advanced omni-directional satellite antenna on the Thuraya X5 Touch ensures uninterrupted communications, offering seamless walk-and-talk functionality even in satellite mode. Thuraya's comprehensive satellite network provides reliable, clear and uninterrupted communications in more than 160 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia; and in terrestrial mode the Thuraya X5-Touch supports most 2G/3G/4G frequencies across the world. The phone works either with Thuraya SIM cards or with GSM SIM cards or a combination of both.
The Thuraya X5-Touch will be available at Thuraya Service Partners in Q4/2018.
About Thuraya Telecommunications Company
Thuraya Telecommunications Company is an industry leading MSS operator and a global telecommunication provider offering innovative communications solutions to a variety of sectors including energy, broadcast media, maritime, military and humanitarian NGOs. The company's diverse range of technologically superior and highly reliable mobile satellite handsets and broadband devices provide ease of use, value, quality and efficiency. Thuraya remains committed to serving humanity through delivering the essential tools for optimal connectivity, never leaving anyone out of reach. Visit www.thuraya.com
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
20/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/04/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced the ATEM 4 M/E Constellation IP and ATEM 4 M/E Constellation IP Plus, two SMPTE 2110-native live production switchers. The ATEM ...
19/04/2026
Grass Valley is finding the right balance between its hardware heritage with an ...
19/04/2026
Oracle's strategy rests on the foundational strengths of Oracle Cloud Infras...
19/04/2026
Program Productions, the live sports production industry's leading crewer, i...
19/04/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas, SVG sat down with Joe Scionti, Account Manage...
19/04/2026
At its 2026 NAB Show keynote event, Ross Video came out swinging with one of its...
19/04/2026
Evertz (Booth N817) is set to present new services within its evertz.io platform...
19/04/2026
Evertz (Booth N817) will showcase its IPMX-certified NUCLEUS platform alongside ...
19/04/2026
Evertz (Booth N817) is set to showcase ENX at NAB 2026, a media core platform designed to support hybrid SDI and IP infrastructures in production facilities and...
19/04/2026
Evertz (Booth N817) will introduce Studer VistaVUE Touch at NAB 2026, a control surface designed to integrate audio, video and control workflows within a custom...
19/04/2026
Evertz (Booth N817) will highlight X-CALIBER at NAB 2026, an encoding and decodi...
19/04/2026
Cobalt Digital (Booth N1340) will introduce the blueCORE family of standalone si...
19/04/2026
Chyron and Asport (Booth N2441) will demonstrate an integrated sports video work...
19/04/2026
MediaKind (Booth W1743) provided an update on its Multiview deployments at NAB S...
19/04/2026
Calrec (Booth C6907) and Grass Valley (Booth C2408) announced a long-term broadc...
19/04/2026
Oracle is bringing a multi-partner demonstration of Media over QUIC (MoQ)-based live streaming to NAB Show 2026, showcasing how independent systems from multipl...
19/04/2026
Encompass Digital Media announced an expanded partnership with Oracle Cloud Infr...
19/04/2026
The NAB Show is in full swing, and the SVG and SVG Europe editorial teams are chasing down the hottest stories from all over the Las Vegas Convention Center. He...
19/04/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced the ATEM 4 M/E Constellation IP and ATEM 4 M/E Constellation IP Plus, two SMPTE 2110-native live production switchers. The ATEM ...
19/04/2026
Now available in VST3, AU and AAX formats
Waves have recently released an update that extends their vocal-alignment plug-in's capabilities to all DAWs -...
19/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/04/2026
Amagi, the agentic industry cloud platform for unified broadcast, streaming, and monetization, today announced that AccuWeather , the most trusted source of wea...
19/04/2026
Calrec (Booth:C6907) and Grass Valley (Booth: C2408) are today announcing a long-term broadcast audio technology partnership at NAB Show 2026. The companies are...
19/04/2026
Ikegami announces a further expansion to its range of on-camera viewfinders. Scheduled for introduction on Ikegamis Central Hall booth C3819 at the April 19th -...
19/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/04/2026
Wuppertal April 19, 2026
Riedel's SimplyLive Solution Powers Centralized V...
19/04/2026
Wuppertal April 19, 2026
Bridge Digital and Riedel Build Campus Wide ST 2110 N...
19/04/2026
Wuppertal April 19, 2026
Riedel Showcases Next Advances in IP-Based Production at NAB 2026MediorNet HorizoN ST 2110 MultiViewer App, SmartPanel Commentary Con...
19/04/2026
Harmonic's Cloud-Native VOS Media Software Lowers Costs by Unifying Media Playout to Delivery on a Single Platform SAN JOSE, Calif. - April 19, 2026 - Harmo...
18/04/2026
MultiDyne Video & Fiber Optic Systems has begun shipping the C16-AM-12G audio mo...
18/04/2026
FOR-A America is set to detail AI functionality for its software-defined IMPULSE...
18/04/2026
Cobalt Digital and SineSix Media have announced a partnership to integrate the v...
18/04/2026
The ATSC, the broadcast standards association, is highlighting the status of the ATSC 3.0 internet protocol-based broadcast standard at the 2026 NAB Show. The e...