Alert, Galaxy A54 and Galaxy S23 series deals available! | Follow SamMobile on Google News now!

SamMobile has affiliate and sponsored partnerships. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

Galaxy S23 doesn’t have satellite connectivity; here’s why

Phone
By 

Last updated: February 2nd, 2023 at 13:03 UTC+01:00

It was rumored that Samsung would bring satellite connectivity for emergency communications to the Galaxy S23 series. However, when the company announced the Galaxy S23 series last night, there was no mention of satellite connectivity, even though the phones feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset that supports it.

In an interview with CNET, Samsung MX CEO TM Roh discussed satellite connectivity on smartphones for emergency communications. When asked about why the new Galaxy flagships don’t have the feature yet, TM Roh said, “when there is the right timing, infrastructure, and the technology [is] ready, then of course for Samsung Galaxy, for our mobile division, we would also actively consider adopting this feature as well.” In fact, he said he doesn’t believe that the feature “is the end-all or be-all of the solutions to ensure peace of mind among users.

The infrastructure and ecosystem for emergency satellite connectivity on smartphones aren’t fully ready yet

Satellite

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset can communicate with satellite systems for emergency messaging. The company partnered with Iridium for access to its weather-resilient L-band spectrum through a constellation of satellites. However, the feature will go live in the second half of 2023. Whether or not current Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 devices can access the upcoming feature hasn’t been clarified.

Qualcomm said that not all Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 devices could use the feature. Smartphones require a special hardware design to access satellite connectivity, and the Galaxy S23 series may or may not have the required hardware. It is confirmed that the feature can’t be enabled just through software. Moreover, Google hasn’t added native support for the feature into Android, and it will be introduced with the release of Android 14. So, it is possible that the Galaxy S23 didn’t get the feature because it isn’t ready yet.

Whatever the case is, Galaxy S23 series smartphones won’t be able to compete with the iPhone 14 lineup in this regard, and that will be a sore missing point from the phone’s specifications, especially to those who require off-grid communications from time to time. Samsung’s TM Roh said that the company spent time on other aspects that bring peace of mind to consumers, including improved security, better sensors, and a wider 5G coverage.

Phone Galaxy S23Galaxy S23 PlusGalaxy S23 UltraQualcomm
Load 2 comments

You might also like

ARM’s new business strategy could drive up prices of Galaxy phones

ARM’s new business strategy could drive up prices of Galaxy phones

Arm Holdings (ARM), the UK-based firm responsible for semiconductor chip designs utilized in over 95% of all smartphones worldwide, including Samsung’s, is looking to change how it charges brands for its chip designs. This change in business strategy comes ahead of the company’s preparation for the IPO (Initial Public Offering) in New York this year, […]

  • By Priya Walia
  • 1 hour ago
One UI 6.0 better not ruin Galaxy S23 series’ amazing user experience

One UI 6.0 better not ruin Galaxy S23 series’ amazing user experience

The Galaxy S23 series is making waves everywhere, partly because how all three phones perform so well and last so long on a single charge, thanks to the work Qualcomm and Samsung did together to make the latter’s newest flagships the best they can be. Two of the three Galaxy S23 models give you two-day […]

  • By Abhijeet Mishra
  • 16 hours ago
How many engineers does it take to prove Samsung’s moon photos are real?

How many engineers does it take to prove Samsung’s moon photos are real?

Concerning the titular question, the answer is: One. Samsung already explained how its moon shots captured by the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s telephoto camera work, but one engineer took it upon himself to explain things in even greater detail. The short story is that the company doesn’t just overlay existing moon photos on top of yours […]

  • By Mihai Matei
  • 20 hours ago
Here’s everything Samsung is doing to protect the oceans

Here’s everything Samsung is doing to protect the oceans

Samsung has been putting in all its efforts to minimize the impact on the environment by using discarded fishing nets for making its products and implementing other AI features. It recently got a Platinum certification from the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) for water resource management. Previously as well, it has been awarded multiple awards […]

  • By Sagar Naresh
  • 1 day ago
Samsung offers higher trade-in value for Galaxy S23 in the US

Samsung offers higher trade-in value for Galaxy S23 in the US

The Galaxy S23 series is the best high-end smartphone lineup that Samsung has ever made. Although the devices don’t look very different from their predecessors on paper, they are a massive upgrade in terms of reliability. If you’ve still not pulled the trigger, now could be the right time to upgrade from an older Galaxy […]

  • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
  • 2 days ago
Samsung really is hell-bent on bringing pretty graphics to mobile

Samsung really is hell-bent on bringing pretty graphics to mobile

Ray tracing technology has barely reached the PC and high-end console markets. Nevertheless, Samsung is determined to make this advanced graphics rendering technique a reality for mobile games on Galaxy devices. And to this end, Samsung is open to collaborations with mobile game and graphical engine developers. After recently demonstrating what this rendering technology can […]

  • By Mihai Matei
  • 3 days ago