Smaller than a credit card with rugged features, the Core 9523 is 90 percent smaller than its predecessor transceiver. Iridium said the product is the smallest and lightest voice and data global transceiver ever made available to commercial markets.

   “The Iridium Core 9523 adds a new level of sophistication never before available in terms of satellite communications technology in handheld devices,” Iridium Vice President of Product Management Joel Thompson said in a statement. “Due to increased demand for global connectivity, advanced functionality and smaller devices, development partners increasingly come to Iridium seeking more compact and cost-effective solutions.  Since cellular networks cover less than 10 percent of the planet, they know only Iridium provides the global reach their customers demand. We designed the Iridium Core 9523 not only to shrink the size of the Iridium Extreme transceiver, but also to enable smaller and lighter products from our partners.”