Samsung is preparing to bring satellite communication capabilities to the Galaxy series
Previously, Huawei and Apple released the Mate 50 series and the iPhone 14 series of smartphones. One of the highlights is the function of supporting satellite communication. The former supports Beidou satellite news. The latter introduces emergency SOS via satellite communications, enabling emergency messaging outside of cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.
Recently, Twitter user @Ricciolo1 revealed that Samsung is also preparing to bring satellite communications to its Galaxy line of phones to catch up with other rivals, though it’s unclear which model will get support first. If Samsung is indeed developing this type of phone, it will most likely be the Galaxy S23 series, which of course only provides the most basic functions.
To get the satellite communication function of Galaxy series phones, you first need a compatible modem, such as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X65, which is also the chip used in the iPhone 14 series. There are reports that the Galaxy S23 series will only use the Snapdragon 8 Gen2, which is equipped with the Snapdragon X70, which will be capable of the same. The system is not a big problem, after Hiroshi Lockheimer, senior vice president of platforms and ecosystems at Google, said that it is working on connecting phones to satellites, and Google will add this feature in the next Android version (Android 14).
Even if the hardware and software problems of the mobile phone are solved, the biggest problem for Samsung is the satellite partner. The Beidou satellite is docked with the Huawei Mate 50 series, while Apple is partnering with Globalstar, which will allocate 85% of its current and future network capacity to support the iPhone 14 series and future iPhone models that may support satellite communications. It is unclear what kind of plans Samsung will have in this regard, and who will choose to cooperate.
