The upcoming Galaxy S23 series could be Samsung’s first phone to carry support for satellite connectivity. To those who are unaware, Huawei became the first brand to launch phones with satellite connectivity on its Mate 50 series, which is exclusively available in China. The iPhone 14 series, which debuted earlier this week, also carries support for satellite connectivity.
A tipster has claimed that Samsung too will join the bandwagon by introducing the satellite connectivity feature on its upcoming flagship phones, the Galaxy S23 lineup, which is expected to debut in Q1 2023. It is speculated that the South Korean tech giant is working with Elon Musk’s Starlink to enable satellite connectivity on its phones.
Samsung team up with Elon Musk’s Starlink
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
The satellite connectivity feature is available as a free-of-cost emergency SOS service on the iPhone 14 series. It allows users to connect to a satellite when there is no cellular network to send out emergency messages to pre-defined contacts. Apple has teamed up with satellite company Globalstar to enable satellite connectivity on the iPhone 14 lineup. Globalstar is a joint venture of Loral Corporation and Qualcomm.
Given that Globalstar will provide Apple with 85 percent of its current and future network capacity, it appears that Samsung will collaborate with another satellite connectivity provider. While the name of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service has emerged, it remains to be seen whether the South Korean company will team up with them.
The Galaxy S23 lineup, which is expected to break cover in Q1 2023, could be Samsung’s first set of phones with satellite connectivity support. Hopefully, the upcoming reports will shed more light on whether the feature will really make it into the S23 series.
As far as the Galaxy S23 lineup is concerned, it is likely to include three devices: the Galaxy S23, the Galaxy S23+, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra. All three phones are expected to feature the forthcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. Rumours are rife that the S23 Ultra will be Samsung’s first phone to feature a 200-megapixel camera.