After Apple announced last year that its iPhone 14 lineup would get Emergency SOS via satellite, a feature allowing two-way messaging across multiple satellites, there was always going to be the question of when Samsung would bring a similar feature to its Galaxy S23 family. With all three models officially here, the Korean firm did not talk about satellite communications, but that does not mean the feature is not arriving. In fact, all smartphones sporting Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will get it. Here is why.
Qualcomm’s partnership with Iridium Communications will make two-way messaging possible between smartphones and satellites
Even if Samsung did not announce any feature for its newly announced Galaxy S23 series, it does not mean Qualcomm and Iridium Communications are ignoring it. Back at CES 2023, the San Diego chip-making firm announced Snapdragon Satellite, a two-way messaging feature arriving to Android smartphones that will make satellite communication seamless. The iPhone 14 series got its satellite communication capabilities thanks to the Snapdragon X65.
Similarly, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2’s Snapdragon X70 5G modem will make this possible. Samsung likely did not publicly announce the feature because it is in no direct partnership with Iridium Communications. Qualcomm is, so it makes little sense to promote a feature that two different firms are working on. However, when the Galaxy S23 models are available to purchase, Snapdragon Satellite will not immediately be supported.
This is because the feature will roll out in the second half of 2023, and even then, Qualcomm did not specify which regions will be able to make use of it. Our guess is that just like Apple, Snapdragon Satellite will be made available for consumers in the U.S. and Canada before branching out to other regions.
Unfortunately, we are unaware of the pricing details, whether Snapdragon Satellite will be free for a limited time, or if Qualcomm intends to start charging customers as soon as the feature launches. What we do know is that we have to muster up some patience to see the feature released for the Galaxy S23 series. If you have not yet upgraded to a Samsung flagship, this might encourage you to make the switch.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
