Android smartphone manufacturers are currently working on providing Android 13 updates to their eligible devices. Meanwhile, the Android OS maker has already announced a new Android 14 feature named Satellite Connectivity.
Earlier, Apple and Huawei were reported to bring Satellite Connectivity with their upcoming high-end smartphones. How can Google be left behind, it is also bringing the Satellite Connectivity feature with its forthcoming Android 14 OS.
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Hiroshi Lockheimer, who is the senior vice president of platforms and ecosystems at Google, has recently revealed through a Twitter post that Google has already started working on connecting phones to satellites.
The Senior vice president further mentioned that the first Android phone – the HTC G1 was launched in 2008 that brought 3G+WiFi network support. Now the makers are moving steps ahead to introduce the Satellite Connectivity tech.
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 upcoming Android 14 will introduce the Satellite Connectivity feature that might expand to high-end Android smartphones from different OEMs. It’s worth mentioning that Android 14 will release in the second half of next year while its developer preview might start in March.
Furthermore, the Satellite Communication function complements terrestrial cellular communication systems that are primarily used in remote areas, ocean and sky scenarios, and emergency disaster relief cases.
Regarding this feature, Apple earlier revealed that it is developing the Satellite Communication function for upcoming iOS devices including the iPhone 14 series. The tech giant has even completed hardware testing and is ready for mass production.
On the flip side, Huawei planning to bring this feature as well. Previous reports suggested that Huawei Mate 50 and Mate 50 Pro flagship phones will present special emergency functions using satellite communications.
