If rumours making the rounds online are anything to go by, the upcoming Galaxy S24 series will lack two-way satellite connectivity for emergencies.
The Galaxy S24 lineup is expected to comprise 3 models including the standard Galaxy 24, Galaxy 24 Plus and Galaxy 24 Ultra. Despite the lack of an official confirmation, the Galaxy S24 trio has been floating around the rumour mill for a while now.
Similarly, the rumour mill churned a lot of speculations surrounding the Galaxy S23 last year. For instance, some reports claimed Samsung is planning to bring iPhone-like satellite connectivity for emergency situations to the Galaxy S23 series.
Much to the chagrin of Samsung fans, the Korean smartphone giant did not equip the Galaxy S23 with the highly anticipated feature. According to the head of Samsung's smartphone division, the two-way satellite connectivity ecosystem is still not fully developed, SamMobile reported.
Deviating their focus to the Galaxy S24 lineup, tipsters and leakers then claimed Samsung would bring two-way satellite connectivity with its upcoming flagship smartphones.
An image of the satellite connectivity feature in the Galaxy S24 series has been revealed
— Technology News (@Adam_Sofi_) December 13, 2023
A leaked screenshot of the Galaxy S24 shows the ability to send SMS via satellite communication. pic.twitter.com/YQLpfgMiGO
Last month, a new screenshot from One UI 6.0 surfaced online, giving us a glimpse into an alleged emergency texting feature called "Emergency texts via satellite" that will reportedly debut with the Galaxy S24.
This was a major sign that Samsung is gearing up to add satellite connectivity to its upcoming flagship phone. However, it now looks like the Korean brand will skip the feature once again.
Will the Galaxy S24 come with an iPhone-like connectivity feature?
A report by the folks at ETNews claims Samsung is testing the Galaxy S24 with the 3 network operators in South Korea including KT, LG Uplus and SK Telecom 2 weeks before unveiling the handsets.
The mobile carriers are currently testing if the Galaxy S24 Ultra performs as it should on their cellular networks, the report adds. In a bid to maintain the hype surrounding the highest-end model, Samsung has reportedly provided mobile carriers with the Galaxy S24 Ultra in a lunch box-shaped package.
Regrettably, the report claims there is no mention of two-way satellite connectivity on the phone. In other words, Samsung may have once again skipped using it. However, it is unclear why the company still isn't willing to equip its flagship phones with the two-way satellite connectivity feature.
To those unaware, the feature is designed to come in handy in emergencies and in situations where cellular network reception isn't available. An L Band frequency band is used to send a rescue notification to an emergency response team in the area (if available).
The feature was first introduced by Apple with the iPhone 14 series last year. Nevertheless, the Galaxy S24 series is still expected to get some exciting features. For instance, it will reportedly use Galaxy AI and offer several ChatGPT and Google Bard-inspired AI features.
