One of the revolutionary features that the iPhone 14 series was launched with was satellite connectivity. Apple partnered with Globalstar with a funding of $450 million to enable connectivity to 24 satellites for emergency communication instead of cellular networks. Turns out Samsung is working on the same tech for its upcoming Galaxy S23 series following in the footsteps of Apple.
Samsung Galaxy S23 series in talks to get Satellite Connectivity
According to a report, Samsung is currently working with Iridium Communications to make arrangements for satellite communications features for the upcoming Galaxy S23 series. For the uninitiated, Iridium Communications has 66 LEO satellites that offer calling and data services to users. The report further adds that Samsung has been working with Iridium for two years now to get the feature onboard its top tier of smartphones.
Apple partnered with Globalstar for its iPhone 14 series while Huawei is working with Beidou satellites to bring satellite connectivity to the Mate 50 Pro series. It’s only natural for Samsung to bring out the ‘revolutionary’ feature on its upcoming flagship series slated to arrive sometime in February next year.
Satellite connectivity for smartphones is both expensive and requires large antennas to enable high-speed data transfer and voice calling. Integrating a large-sized antenna is a problem on a smartphone since phones have gotten slimmer over the years. Reverting to bulky designs would defeat the innovation and thus, smartphone makers will have to look out for ways to get better satellite coverage with whatever antenna space or tech is available.
The current-gen devices will opt for text messages and low-res image sharing and that’s what Samsung will follow. For context, Apple’s satellite connectivity enables location and text message sharing only.
