Galaxy S23 series does not support satellite communication

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Prior to this, Huawei and Apple successively released the Mate 50 series and iPhone 14 series smartphones. One of the highlights is the function of supporting satellite communication. The former supports the Beidou satellite, and the latter introduces the emergency SOS function through satellite communication. It is rumored that Samsung is also preparing to bring satellite communication functions to the Galaxy series of phones. With Qualcomm launching the Snapdragon Satellite at CES 2023, it seems inevitable that the Galaxy S23 series, which uses a customized second-generation Snapdragon 8 platform, will provide support.

However, the Galaxy S23 series just released by Samsung does not provide satellite communication functions, which is a bit surprising. TM Roh, president of Samsung and head of the electronic mobile department, admitted that Samsung is indeed interested in providing satellite communication functions on smartphones and has been considering adopting them. It’s just that the applicability of this function is still limited at this stage, so there is no rush to introduce it.
Qualcomm reached an agreement with Iridium Communications to provide satellite-based connectivity for a new generation of Android flagship smartphones, and will also cooperate with Garmin to support emergency messaging services. Qualcomm’s solution for smartphones is to use the L-band spectrum provided by Iridium Communications for uplink and downlink. It not only achieves global coverage from the South Pole to the North Pole, but also supports two-way emergency message communication, SMS text messages, and other message applications.

Wccftech speculated that the hardware architecture of the Galaxy S23 series should be supported, but since the Snapdragon Satellite will not be launched in some regions until the second half of 2023, the specific charges are not clear. In addition, there is no direct cooperation between Samsung and Iridium Communications. Factors such as time, region, and pricing make Samsung temporarily abandon the introduction of satellite communication functions.

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