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The iPhone 14 introduced an Emergency SOS feature that uses satellites to send short messages and location data, and other carriers are rushing to offer similar features. Samsung has now entered the space race with its own modem technology.
Samsung Electronics has confirmed that it has developed a technology for direct connection between smartphones and satellites, using the latest 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) standard defined by 3GPP. The solution allows phones to send and receive data from satellites, like the technology Qualcomm and Iridium Communications are currently developing. The SOS feature of the iPhone 14 is more limited, as it only offers one-way communication.
Samsung says its satellite feature doesn’t require a separate high-powered antenna on a phone, reducing potential cost and complexity. The company also tested the feature with its existing Exynos Modem 5300, which is the same hardware used in the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. However, we don’t know if satellite connectivity could be rolled out to existing phones with Samsung modems: the Modem 5300 was being tested with “simulated 5G NTN” and the company plans to integrate the feature properly into future hardware.
The announcement explains that the technology “uses satellites and other non-terrestrial vehicles to provide connectivity to regions previously unreachable by terrestrial networks, whether over mountains, across deserts or in the middle of the ocean.” Samsung also hopes to support two-way text messaging and “high-definition video and image sharing.”
Although Samsung is working on modems to support satellite connectivity, the feature may not be present on future flagship Galaxy phones. This year’s Galaxy S23 uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset for Galaxy, which uses a Snapdragon X70 modem, not Samsung’s Exynos modem. If Samsung sticks with Qualcomm hardware for its flagship smartphones and tablets, it will probably have to use Qualcomm’s satellite solution every time it arrives.
Source: Samsung
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