Satellite Emergency Services on the Next-Generation Smartphone

CloudBrain Team

6 days ago

Table of Contents

Samsung Galaxy S25 Satellite Connectivity

A new report sheds light on how satellite connectivity will work on the Samsung Galaxy S25.
Users will be able to contact emergency services, share their location, and exchange text messages with the response team.
There is only a small difference between the emergency SOS interfaces of Samsung and Google phones.

Verizon has partnered with Skylo, a wholesale provider, to bring satellite connectivity to the Samsung Galaxy S25 and the Google Pixel 9 series.

When a phone loses its regular cellular signal, it will search for a satellite connection using Skylo’s software.
Skylo has ground stations that connect to satellites from different providers.
The phones will automatically connect to the satellite provider offering the best signal in the United States and Canada.

The emergency SOS service on the Galaxy S25 will have three main functions:

Connecting with Emergency Services: The ability to directly contact emergency responders.
Location Sharing: Sharing the user’s location with Garmin’s emergency response service.
Text Messaging: Sending and receiving text messages with Garmin’s response service.

Signal Search: The phone detects the lack of a terrestrial network and starts searching for a satellite signal.
User Guidance: The service prompts the user to go outside with a clear view of the sky to ensure a strong connection.
Emergency Details: The service asks the user to describe the emergency and provide more details.
Message Sending: The first message takes approximately 3 to 4 seconds to send.
Response Time: Subsequent responses from the provider typically take 5 to 6 seconds.

The primary difference between the Samsung and Google interfaces is a visual cue.
The Google interface shows a green arrow, guiding users to point their phone in the direction of the best satellite signal.
More details about the Samsung interface will be provided later.

Skylo is developing features for SMS (text message) and voice call functionalities.
T-Mobile is planning satellite-based texting, working with Starlink, with voice calls planned for the future.