The iPhone 14 collection provides Emergency SOS via Satellite. This feature permits these dealing with an emergency state of affairs in an space with none mobile sign, to hook up with an orbiting satellite to report the state of affairs with an Apple replay middle. The latter then notifies an emergency providers supplier to get these in peril the assistance they want. Huawei additionally added satellite assist for its flagships beginning with final 12 months’s Mate 50 and Mate 50 Pro. Both of these fashions and the P60 collection permit customers to ship brief texts by satellite in areas with out mobile alerts.
This previous February, Samsung’s Dr. TM Roh, the top of the corporate’s cell eXperience unit, defined why Samsung handed on providing satellite connectivity with the Galaxy S23 line. Roh mentioned, “When there’s the suitable timing, infrastructure, and the expertise [is] prepared, then in fact for Samsung Galaxy, for our cell division, we’d additionally actively contemplate adopting this feature as properly.” That day might be coming as quickly as early subsequent 12 months with the discharge of the Galaxy S24 line.
Based on a tweet from the #TeamPixel Twitter account (via Wccftech), Android 14 goes to supply SMS via satellite as a local feature to handsets that will be capable of assist it. We have to make it clear that #StaffPixel is a Pixel fan membership and just isn’t affiliated with Google. With that in thoughts, certainly Google would not offer it on Android 14 with out having the required {hardware} made obtainable on the upcoming Pixel 8 collection. The tweet from #StaffPixel says that Pixel and Galaxy phones will be among the many first Android fashions to have the {hardware} to assist SMS via satellite.
The #StaffPixel Twitter account reveals that Pixel and Galaxy phones will get Satellite assist from Android 14
Since the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro needs to be unveiled this coming October, we’re most likely lower than three months away from listening to all about how this feature will work on supported Pixel fashions. On the opposite hand, the ultimate and steady model of Android 14 is simply two to a few weeks away from being launched and it’s attainable that some phrase about satellite connectivity is talked about at the moment.
Apple’s satellite connectivity feature has already finished its job with a person rescued after getting stranded in Alaska. In one other incident, two ladies have been rescued after getting stranded in British Columbia. It does seem that being able to entry emergency assist in areas with out mobile service generally is a enormous life-saving feature that in lots of conditions might be the distinction between life and dying; having this feature obtainable on Android phones will additionally save many lives.