Samsung Galaxy phones tipped to get satellite connectivity with Android 15 and One UI 7

Well it’s been a long time coming

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We’ve been waitingfor yearsfor satellite connectivity to make it into Android phones, afterAppleadded it to theiPhone 14in September 2022 – and the signs are that selected Samsung Galaxy phones could be getting the upgrade in the near future.

Some code digging by the team atAndroid Authorityhas revealed references to “satellite mode” and “emergency texts via satellite” in the Emergency SOS, Messages, and Phone apps thatSamsungdevelops, which seems like a pretty big hint.

We don’t know when the code might be enabled, or which phones will be able to communicate with satellites, but it does seem that a launch is now imminent. WithAndroid 15due later this year, that could be the moment – though Samsung’s own One UI 7 version ofGoogle’s software will take more time to show up.

It’ll be no surprise when the feature does make an appearance: Samsung won’t like lagging behind Apple in any feature category, and satellite connectivity for the last two Galaxy flagships has beenextensively rumored, though it’s yet to appear.

The leaks and rumors so far

Last October, Samsung’s Park Yong-inpromised two-way satellite connectivityfor Galaxy phones sometime in 2024, but it didn’t show up with theSamsung Galaxy S24series, theSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, or theSamsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.

It’s possible that a software update will unlock the functionality on some or all of those devices. Satellite messaging has beenstrongly rumoredfor Android 15 (as it wasfor Android 14, by the way), and the software is now in the developer beta stage.

There might even be a feature that beats the iPhone offering: satellite messagingin any app, so it wouldn’t just be for emergency communications. There isn’t going to be enough bandwidth for you to stream Netflix out in the wilderness, but you could at least ping a loved one back at home if you get lost.

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We’ve also seen satellite options appearingon Google Pixel phonesalready, though they don’t actually do anything yet – all of which points towards satellite messaging for Android handsets, including Galaxy phones, arriving in the next few months.

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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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