The Snapdragon 8 Elite, which exclusively ships with the entire Galaxy S25 range, is not just leveraged to deliver incredible and unrivaled performance, because Qualcomm has improved upon the features set for the chipset, particularly when it comes to emergency-related situations. The San Diego firm decided to take on Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite with Snapdragon Satellite, which it unveiled in January 2023. Unfortunately, it took more than a few obstacles for the company to bring this feature to mainstream devices, and by partnering with Samsung, the Galaxy S25 family officially became the first to support it.
Surprisingly, Samsung did not announce that its Galaxy S25 series supports Snapdragon Satellite, likely because it is still working with different companies to ensure that the proper infrastructure is in place
Even though devices outfitted with the Snapdragon 8 Elite can support Snapdragon Satellite as the messaging feature has been baked into Android directly, there is still some hardware requirement, one that is fulfilled by the Galaxy S25 models. Some readers may have forgotten that Snapdragon Satellite was compatible with smartphones that shipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which is two generations old at this point, but there is no concrete reason why the chipset did not accompany the feature.
It is possible that Android did not fully support Snapdragon Satellite when the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 launched, or Qualcomm had a fallout with Iridium Communications, a company that has around 66 satellites deployed in orbit and a partner with the San Diego firm. Allying with a satellite communications firm was essential to allow smartphones to communicate with these spacecrafts, much like Apple did with Globalstar. Thankfully, with Android 15 natively supporting satellite messaging, perhaps Snapdragon Satellite will have an easier time playing nice with the software.
Sadly, it is unconfirmed if the feature arriving to the Galaxy S25 series will be available when the flagship trio officially releases. Also, when the first units start to arrive for major markets, we do not know which regions the Snapdragon Satellite will be compatible with, but we will be sure to update our readers on any updates. For now, if you have yet to upgrade to any of Samsung’s Galaxy S25 models, do note that Amazon is running a phenomenal promotion where early adopters can receive up to a $200 gift card if they pre-order one.
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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