The previous year, there were rumors that Samsung was going to provide the Galaxy S23 alongside satellite internet access for emergency phoning and communication, similar to what Apple would include with the iPhone 14. That did not occur, and as a result, the Galaxy S23 does not have the necessary satellite connection for emergency services. There are rumors that Samsung will incorporate satellite connectivity into its mobile devices in the coming year.
Lee Jong-ho, the Minister of Science and Information and Communications Technology in South Korea, recently said in a conversation with Yonhap Media (via @Tech_Reve) that local smartphone manufacturers are planning to offer a service that will bring data transfer between mobile devices using 5G and satellites in the following year.
It is common knowledge that Samsung is the sole major smartphone manufacturer in South Korea (subsequently LG closed its smartphone operation), and it is widely believed that Samsung may add satellite internet access to its phones in the following year.
When asked if a standard pertaining to satellite communication would be developed next year, Lee Jong-ho responded, “I can’t say for certain, but I believe the national sector is thinking about commercializing the product next year.”
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, which is utilized in the most expensive smartphones that Samsung has produced this year, has the ability to link to LEO which is Low Earth Orbit satellites, which provide services for messaging and emergency communications. On the other hand, neither the Galaxy S23 nor the Galaxy Z Flip 5 nor the Galaxy Z Fold 5 support satellite communication.
At the beginning of this year, Samsung stated that the ecosystem for satellite connectivity is not yet established and that the company would wait until the ecosystem improved before introducing the new function. It has been reported that the South Korean company is collaborating with Iridium Communication Methods, which provides a satellite constellation in low-earth orbit for use in critical communication situations.
It is anticipated that the business would introduce the Galaxy S24 during the initial quarter of the calendar year in the following year. It is anticipated that Samsung would release the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 in two distinct variants: one will include an Exynos 2400 chip, whereas the other will utilize a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU.
If the Galaxy S24 is going to have satellite connectivity, then even the Exynos 2400 will need to have the capability enabled on the device’s hardware level for it to work. The two-way satellite communication that Samsung created for its Exynos CPUs may one day be employed in the Galaxy S24. Within the Android ecosystem, satellite connection is currently only available on Huawei mobile devices.
When there is no cellular network in the area, those with phones equipped with two-way satellite communication for rescue communications can connect to satellites in low-earth orbit to transmit and receive calls and texts.
When users are lost in a region where there is no cellular coverage, it makes it possible for them to be saved or attended to with medical treatment. One of the technologies that could, in the not-too-distant future, make it possible for conventional mobile phones to engage in two-way communication via satellite without the need for additional hardware was demonstrated using the Galaxy S22.
