What is the "offline communication" trend sparked by Huawei Mate 80?

Just "breaking through the sky" is not enough. Huawei phones also aim to become the strongest in communication on the ground.

At the new product launch event on November 25th, Yu Chengdong, Executive Director of Huawei and Chairman of the Consumer Business Group, announced that the Huawei Mate 80 is the first in the industry to feature 700M emergency communication without a network.

The emergency rescue signal in the 700MHz frequency band can penetrate up to three floors deep and cover a communication distance of over 13 kilometers. According to official introductions, this function can establish a lifeline in situations such as earthquakes, floods, or when lost in the wild, bridging the communication gap between users and rescue teams and becoming a great helper in disaster relief. As a result, the Huawei Mate 80 series has become the smartphone with the highest level of communication function integration in the industry, boasting the powerful features of "terrestrial network + satellite network + network - free".

Speaking of network - free communication, it's indeed a bit like "old wine in new bottles." This function sparked heated discussions last year when Xiaomi and vivo entered the arena one after another. Now, Huawei phones have added fuel to the fire. Based on this, this article will explore - what exactly is network - free communication? Why has this technology received extensive attention in recent years? And what is its future development prospect?

How can communication be achieved without a network?

The so - called "network - free communication", as the name implies, means being able to communicate without a network. In an environment lacking fixed communication infrastructure, it is a communication mode that completes data transmission through direct, autonomous, and self - organized links between terminals. Its core features include:

Independent of the network: It does not require base stations, APs, or the Internet;

Decentralized: Point - to - point or multi - hop transmission between nodes;

Autonomous connectivity: Devices can self - organize or form temporary networks;

Maintain communication capabilities in extreme environments.

Traditional communication (such as making calls, sending text messages, or accessing the Internet) relies on the complete network system of operators. The steps can be simplified as follows:

The signal sent by the phone first connects to a nearby base station;

Then it enters the operator's core network (for signaling, routing, billing, etc.);

Finally, the operator forwards the information to the other party.

The premise of this model is: there must be network coverage, network resources, and reliance on the entire operator's infrastructure. If in mountainous areas, subways, at sea, disaster sites, or at a concert where the network is overloaded, the base station cannot cover the area or is congested, communication may fail. In short: The operator is responsible for "building the road" before the phone can "walk."

Network - free communication, on the other hand, relies on the phones themselves to "build the road" and communicate directly. Its core principle can be understood from two key aspects: direct links and cross - device self - organization.

First, direct device - to - device communication (D2D).

The most basic form of network - free communication is to allow two phones to bypass the base station and use Bluetooth, Wi - Fi Direct, NFC, UWB, Mesh protocol, or specific frequency - band radio frequency to directly establish a point - to - point link in the physical space. It's like having a "temporary built - in small base station." Data is sent directly from one terminal to another without going through the operator's core network, enabling message transmission even when the network is down, there is no coverage, or the network is congested.

Second, self - organization (Mesh Networking) to extend the distance.

When two devices are too far apart to connect directly, network - free communication allows multiple devices to automatically form a multi - hop network. Each terminal is both a user device and a forwarding node. Information can be forwarded through "hop nodes" like a relay, spreading over a larger area. Typical technologies include BLE Mesh, LoRa Mesh, Wi - Fi HaLow Mesh, etc. Its advantage is that the network can start without infrastructure and can dynamically expand its coverage as the number of participating devices increases.

In short, When there is no road paved by the operator, the phones "pave the road" themselves to complete communication.

Major phone manufacturers compete in network - free communication

In recent years, phone manufacturers have collectively focused on the concept of "network - free communication." This is an inevitable shift under the multiple pressures of technology, the market, and user needs. First of all, the industry has entered an era of deep homogenization. Traditional hardware indicators - screen brightness, imaging specifications, processor performance, and charging power - have all been pushed to the limit, making it difficult to form clear generational differences. Manufacturers urgently need new selling points that can directly influence purchase decisions and improve the actual user experience. "Network - free communication" naturally has scarcity, perceptibility, and scenario value, so it has become a new focus of competition.

More importantly, there are real changes in user and scenario needs. Against the backdrop of the rapid growth of consumer trends such as outdoor sports, self - driving trips, and camping, users are paying more and more attention to the safe communication ability that can be used without a network. In urban environments, the weak network problems in subways, underground spaces, and closed parks have also made "being able to communicate without a network" a necessity. At the same time, the frequent occurrence of large - scale disasters and the improvement of public safety awareness have also prompted manufacturers to package "network - free communication" as a core function with high reliability and safety.

Overall, "network - free communication" not only alleviates the hardware involution but also meets users' needs for safe, stable, and always - available communication. It has become the next key direction for phone brands to compete in the high - end market and achieve experience differentiation.

OPPO

As early as the MWC19 conference in 2019, OPPO launched "network - free communication", claiming that it could achieve text, voice transmission, and even voice calls between OPPO phones within 3000 meters without a cellular network, Wi - Fi, or Bluetooth. During the on - site demonstration, a modified OPPO R15 phone could still communicate and transmit information like a walkie - talkie after all signals were cut off.

Online information shows that OPPO achieves network - free communication based on the Bluetooth protocol and its self - developed MeshTalk (network - free communication technology) protocol. The AdHoc wireless network used in the MeshTalk protocol is centered around a decentralized architecture. Information transmission and reception do not go through traditional base stations or servers but are point - to - point and end - to - end. At the same time, it not only supports multiple devices to freely form a network for group chats but also can extend the communication distance between devices through the relay mode.

In August 2025, based on Bluetooth 5.4 technology, OPPO ColorOS announced an upgrade of its network - free chat function. In a network - free state, users can not only make voice calls but also send pictures, text, and voice.

This function is suitable for scenarios such as traveling abroad, hiking in the desert, exploring uninhabited areas, climbing mountains outdoors, or attending concerts. When there is no network or a weak signal, users can use the network - free chat function to contact their teammates, just like using a walkie - talkie.

Vivo's kilometer - level network - free communication

In October 2024, vivo launched the X200 series. In terms of communication capabilities, vivo is the first in the world to feature kilometer - level network - free communication, enabling one - on - one voice calls up to 2 km away and SOS text broadcasts up to 4 km away.

This technology was jointly developed by vivo and MediaTek. In an extreme environment without a cellular network, it can achieve point - to - point, long - distance communication through Bluetooth connection and supports SOS text broadcasts, one - on - one voice calls and text exchanges, and map location display. It has high practical value in scenarios such as field scientific research and disaster relief.

In practical applications, the vivo X200 series accompanied the scientific researchers from the Mount Everest scientific research station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to work in the signal - free area of Mount Everest, enabling efficient communication among the researchers with its kilometer - level network - free communication function.

Xiaomi's Xingchen Network - Free Communication

At the Xiaomi product launch event on October 29, 2024, Xiaomi not only launched the highly anticipated Xiaomi 15 series of phones and other products but also announced a revolutionary communication technology - "Xiaomi Xingchen Network - Free Communication."

Public information shows that this function is developed based on the Bluetooth protocol and uses distributed network technology for construction. Each phone supporting the Xingchen system can serve as a signal forwarding node, thus forming a large - scale Mesh network. In this way, users can still maintain stable communication even without a base station.

Xiaomi has made the following key designs and optimizations to achieve this function:

Super - powerful chip combination: Xiaomi's Pengpai T1/T1S series of signal - enhancing chips enable multi - antenna fusion in complex scenarios, greatly enhancing the communication experience

High - performance antenna group: It uses a group of 6 mid - high - frequency and 4 low - frequency antennas, with a large antenna area and strong receiving ability, bringing a more stable and smooth experience

AI - optimized signal enhancement: The AI full - link perception and prediction engine schedules network resources in advance. In addition, the application of machine - learning algorithms in signal prediction and optimization improves the success rate and efficiency of network construction.

On this basis, Xiaomi has developed its own private protocol, which is customized for the needs of network - free communication. It can better adapt to hardware and communication technologies, improving the efficiency and reliability of communication. As a result, Xiaomi claims that its "Xingchen Communication System" provides the industry's first kilometer - level network - free calls, supporting two - way calls within a radius of 3.5 kilometers (in an open environment). The update pushed at the end of December 2024 supports a communication range of 6 kilometers. The dual - satellite version of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is additionally integrated with a Tiantong satellite communication module, enabling satellite calls and text messages, and supports network - free communication within 7 kilometers, with the ability to penetrate signals through 7 - story buildings.

Huawei's 700M Network - Free Emergency Communication

Let's return to the 700M network - free emergency communication first launched by the Huawei Mate 80. Direct connection in the 700MHz low - frequency band is its core technology, which fully utilizes the inherent physical advantages of this frequency band:

The 700 MHz frequency band belongs to the lower frequency range, with a longer wavelength. The energy attenuation rate is slower than that of mid - and high - frequency bands. With the same transmission power, its effective communication distance is significantly better than that of the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and other bands, which is conducive to achieving kilometer - level or even longer point - to - point communication. Low - frequency signals also have better diffraction and penetration capabilities. The 700 MHz frequency band is significantly better than high - frequency bands in terms of penetrating walls and building structures. In cities, areas with high - rise buildings, underground, or semi - enclosed scenarios, the 700 MHz frequency band can provide a more stable link quality. At the same time, due to its long propagation distance and low loss, the 700 MHz frequency band allows nodes to establish stable links with a sparser deployment density, reducing the complexity of self - organizing networks. In environments such as the wild, mountains, and rescue sites, even with a limited number of devices, a large - scale coverage area can be formed, which is conducive to building a temporary communication network.

It is worth mentioning that the 700 MHz frequency band is the "golden frequency band" of China Broadcasting Network. The launch of the Mate 80 series products is expected to make the "differentiated" advantage of China Broadcasting Network's 700 MHz frequency band visible again. Experts from China Broadcasting Network point out that the innovative application of the 700 MHz frequency band in the field of emergency communication provides a new technological path for improving the country's disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities. In addition to major natural disasters, it also has important value in scenarios such as mountain rescue and maritime search and rescue.

What is the future prospect?

Since phone manufacturers have been promoting network - free communication so vigorously, what is the actual application effect of related functions?

Taking Xiaomi's Xingchen Network - Free Communication as an example, according to a real - world test by Lei Technology, in an urban environment, the effective communication distance of Xingchen Network - Free Communication is about 30 - 300 meters, and the specific effect depends on the on - site environment. For example, the effective communication distance inside a building is about 20 - 30 meters in a straight line, and users need to get as close as 10 meters to search for a signal. It can only be said that the communication effect is slightly better than shouting loudly - it is basically impossible to achieve the ultra - long - distance network - free calls as advertised. Overall, Xingchen Network - Free Communication can indeed achieve network - free communication (in flight mode throughout), but it is not suitable for use in cities and is generally not needed.

Overall, the emergence of network - free communication is not to replace the existing cellular network system but to make up for its natural deficiencies in coverage, reliability, and emergency response capabilities. The operator's network is highly developed in cities, major transportation arteries, and densely populated areas. However, there are still structural blind spots in scenarios such as mountains, the wilderness, islands, and underground spaces. At the same time, in extreme situations such as earthquakes, floods, and typhoons, damaged base stations or power outages may cause the communication system to fail instantly. Network - free communication is designed for these extreme and weakly covered environments to ensure that users can still maintain a minimum level of voice communication and connection when the public network is unavailable.

More importantly, the value of network - free communication lies not in high bandwidth but in certainty and autonomy. It does not rely on base stations or the Internet but only on direct connections or short - distance relays between terminals to establish communication links. This design, independent of the operator's network, makes it a "second communication channel" that users can carry with them, providing stable safety guarantees in scenarios such as weak networks, network outages, cross - regional operations, and outdoor work. For industries such as rescue, outdoor sports, park management, and mining operations, the autonomous nature of network - free communication fills the "last - mile" gap that traditional networks have difficulty covering.

In the future, network - free communication and the operator's network will coexist and cooperate, forming a more robust overall communication ability. This will enable users to maintain a minimum level of connection in any situation, evolving the user experience from "always online" to "still online in extreme situations."

Reference materials:

"What is the 700MHz network - free emergency communication function first launched by the Huawei Mate 80?" by Huizhi Microelectronics; "Why can the Huawei Mate 80 achieve network - free communication?" by Laohuangniu in Communication; "I hope this function can be available on everyone's phones" by Aifaner; "Real - world test of Xiaomi's Xingchen Network - Free Communication: It's essentially a walkie - talkie, and the urban experience is hard to describe" by Lei Technology; "Xiaomi Xingchen Network - Free Communication" on Baidu Baike; "OPPO ColorOS announces an upgrade of its network - free chat function: Send pictures and voice without a network" by Kuaikeji; "Huawei Mate 80 first launches 700M network - free emergency communication. Can China Broadcasting Network make a comeback?" by Communication Outlook

This article is from the WeChat official account "Internet of