Android 14 adds satellite support to phones.
Despite wireless companies’ extensive coverage in the US, many areas lack cellular service. This can be hazardous or lethal. T-Mobile and SpaceX have partnered to reinvent mobile connectivity. The two companies seek to offer satellite cellular service in places without it. Google’s Android OS should be available when the service launches in late 2023.
Wild to think about user experiences for phones that can connect to satellites. When we launched G1 in '08 it was a stretch to get 3G + Wifi working. Now we're designing for satellites. Cool! Excited to support our partners in enabling all of this in the next version of Android!
— Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) September 1, 2022
Google’s senior vice president of Android, Hiroshi Lockheimer, shared via Twitter that Google is “designing for satellites” and that the company is excited to support partners “in enabling all of this in the next version of Android.” Lockheimer, a founder member of the Android team, recalled the difficulty of including Wi-Fi and 3G on the T-Mobile G1 in 2008. Hardware and software are constantly developing since then.
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon teased at IFA 2022 that the company is introducing satellite communication to Snapdragon Connect modems. The product’s release date is unclear.
Most companies are looking to satellite connectivity to end network dead zones worldwide. It can only handle a few thousand voice calls and texts at once, thus it can’t replace regular mobile towers. It can’t handle high-speed data. The connectivity option helps users in no-network zones reach loved ones and emergency services.
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