Samsung Galaxy S23 may get satellite communication functions

Following in the steps of Apple, Samsung has now announced that it is conducting technology development to mount satellite communication functions in the next-generation Galaxy smartphone series.

According to a report from ETNews, Samsung is working with Iridium Communications to bring some sort of satellite communication system to the Galaxy S23.

Satellite

Iridium provides voice calling and data communication services through 66 low-orbit communication satellites (Leo).

Samsung has reportedly been preparing for the past two years to overcome the technological challenges of satellite communication.

According to the report, due to the nature of satellite communication technology, the antenna (RF) must be large to enable voice and high-speed data communication.

Technical challenges

The biggest technical challenge it said was to make the antenna small enough to be installed in a general smartphone.

“The technology to process digital data by integrating the existing mobile communication modem and the satellite communication modem is also observed to be largely completed.

Competition

In comparison, Apple has already partnered with satellite company Globalstar to provide satellite communication to the iPhone 14, but its data processing capacity is limited to rescue requests in emergency situations.

Chinese smartphone maker Huawei is also able to send and receive limited text messages using BeiDou satellites.

If the South Korean firm manages to bring satellite connectivity with the Galaxy S23, it can proudly stand among the few brands that have the feature in their smartphones.

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Availability

However, it remains to be seen how widely the feature would be made available in South Africa as Apple currently only has the emergency communication feature enabled in Canada and the US.

The report says that Samsung is reviewing the related features on the Galaxy S23 that will be showcased next year.

Emergency SOS

Meanwhile, Apple rolled out its emergency SOS via satellite for iPhone 14 users  earlier this month.

The emergency SOS via satellite allows users to text emergency services when they are off the grid, whether camping in the mountains or driving in a remote area at night.

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