One thing’s for sure: getting stuck in the wilderness without a phone signal is no fun at all. Apple’s iPhones have been able to connect to satellites for emergency SOS calls for a couple of years now, in case you find yourself in trouble and out of signal, and it now looks like Android devices might be about to add this functionality as well.
Based on code seen by Android Authority, Google is considering bringing emergency satellite communications to a future version of Android. Dubbed Pixel Satellite SOS in code found in Android 15 beta 4, the feature could help get Android fans who find themselves in difficulties when making conventional emergency calls isn’t possible.
This feature might sound familiar, and we’ve actually known about it for a little while. This, however, is apparently the first time the Pixel Satellite SOS name has appeared – and Android Authority’s research also suggests that Google might offer this feature free for two years.
Interestingly, that two-year term might change. The exact code discovered by Android Authority states: “Satellite SOS is included at no charge for {two} years.” As the ‘two’ is in brackets, the figure might be a placeholder that could subsequently be altered. However, given that Apple offers its Emergency SOS via Satellite feature for two years to anyone with an iPhone 14 or iPhone 15-series device, matching that period would allow Google to compete with its biggest mobile rival.
Arriving next month?
When might you be able to get this rumored feature? Well, the Google Pixel 9 will launch on August 13 and is expected to come with Android 15 out of the box, so that device seems a likely candidate.
As well as that, the code contains the following wording: “Your Pixel has been updated to support satellite communication.” That suggests that older Pixels might be able to get the feature, although satellite communications require specific hardware, something that Android Authority doesn’t believe is present in older Pixels. Instead, “updated” might refer to an upcoming Pixel Feature Drop that would bring satellite communications to the Pixel 9 at some point in the future.
Of course, this is all assuming that Google actually decides to launch this feature. As it’s only been spotted in beta code so far, there’s a chance that it won’t make it into a final Android release. But given the success stories that have arisen from Apple’s Emergency SOS via Satellite, it makes sense for Google to want to offer something similar to Android fans.
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alexblake.techradar@gmail.com (Alex Blake)
