Satellite communications will soon be available on Android smartphones
Following the release of the iPhone, Google is currently developing a Satellite SOS feature for its Pixel smartphones. This feature will enable devices to establish a direct connection with a satellite in order to send messages to emergency services.
According to Gizchina, this new section will be accessible in the smartphone settings after updating the Adaptive Connectivity Services system application.
The functionality of Satellite SOS will be quite similar to the Emergency SOS feature available on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15.
In situations where there is no cellular service or Wi-Fi available, users will notice an SOS icon in the status bar of their device. This icon will allow them to contact emergency services via call or text using the satellite connection.
While it remains uncertain which specific Pixel models will support this feature, reports from various media outlets suggest that only certain models will be compatible.
The reason behind this limitation is that additional equipment is required for the phone to communicate with satellites, which is not present in the current Pixel models.
It is worth noting that satellite communication support was first introduced in the iPhone in 2022 and later expanded to the iPhone 15.
Huawei also incorporated this feature in their flagship devices, allowing users to not only exchange SMS but also make calls using satellite communications.
While satellite communication on the iPhone is limited to the USA and a few other countries, Huawei’s devices exclusively offer this feature in China.
Although there were expectations for the Galaxy S24 to be the first phone with publicly available satellite connectivity, this did not come to fruition.
