Smartphones running Android 15 will soon benefit from a satellite connection, a feature present at Apple since the iPhone 14. Except that unlike iOS, which uses a gridded emergency SOS, it will be possible to send SMS and MMS .
A presentation planned during Google I/O 2024
During the I/O conference on May 14, 2024, Google will present the satellite connection for Android 15. The objective is to allow certain smartphones equipped with the OS to benefit from it. This is an additional step for the Mountain View firm, after the addition of satellite SOS to the Pixel range.
Knowing that there are several manufacturer overlays, Android intends to allow compatibility of existing satellite connection platforms such as those of Qualcomm from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, the MT6825 chip from MediaTek and the future solution from Samsung.
In addition to SMS, applications using the RCS protocol will be supported.
A function reserved for high-end smartphones
Not all smartphones will therefore benefit from this functionality planned for Android 15, since they will need to have a compatible chip. In general, these SoCs are reserved for the latest generation premium models.
But nothing excludes mid-range devices from being entitled to it in the future.