Back in September, Apple introduced a SOS feature on the iPhone 14 via satellite communications. Like the company’s collision detection, it’s not what you’d call an everyday feature, but if you need it, you’ll be glad to have it, allowing you to send SOS messages in the event of an emergency in an area without cellular coverage.
Now it looks like Samsung is about to unveil the upcoming Galaxy S23. According to South Korean website ET News, Samsung will work with Iridium Communications and its 66 low-orbit satellites to provide a similar last-resort connection in an emergency.
As with the iPhone 14, using satellite communications is not the same as connecting over a regular network. Just as Apple only allows emergency SOS text messages and location sharing through the Find My app, Samsung’s implementation will reportedly be limited to SMS and low-resolution image sharing. The latter presumably helps pinpoint your exact location by sharing images of recognizable sights you can see nearby.
It’s a trade-off between design and functionality. To include voice and high-speed satellite data, Samsung needs to make room for a larger antenna, which will change the phone’s overall design. This seems unnecessary for a feature that only a small percentage of people will ever need—especially when emergency SMS messages can accomplish the same goal.
The iPhone 14’s Satellite SOS feature began rolling out to users in the U.S. and Canada earlier this month, and so far, there have been no reports of using it to save lives. It’s still too early, though, and other passive health and safety features like the Apple Watch’s arrhythmia detection and the iPhone 14’s crash detection have proven to be veritable lifesavers.
While these aren’t the kind of features you have to consider when buying a new phone, if you need them, you’ll be glad they’re there. It might not be the most compelling feature Samsung has rolled out with the Galaxy S23 lineup, but it might end up being the most important if you find yourself lost in the wilderness.