- Satellite connectivity comes to the Galaxy S26 series
- This will be implemented in North America, Europe and Japan.
- Samsung is finalizing partnerships with carrier networks
iPhones have it, Pixel phones have it, and now Galaxy phones have it too: Samsung has confirmed that the shiny new Galaxy S26 phones unveiled earlier this week can connect to satellite networks for emergency communications.
During the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked launch event, it was unclear whether the long-rumored update would arrive with the Galaxy S26 series, but Samsung has now confirmed that its new phones can connect to satellites.
According to Samsung’s press release, the functionality will be available “through ongoing partnerships” in North America, Europe, and Japan. However, satellite support will be rolled out in phases, depending on “network availability and regulatory requirements,” so you may not get it right away.
Satellite access was previously available on select Galaxy phones for select apps in select regions, but this is a much more comprehensive rollout. However, it remains to be seen if it will eventually make its way to older Samsung phones.
Established associations
In the United States, Samsung says there are already satellite connectivity partnerships with T-Mobile and Verizon, and that it is “working” on a deal with AT&T. Similar deals are being struck in Europe and Japan.
“As satellite connectivity becomes an important part of the mobile landscape, we are committed to ensuring Galaxy users have reliable access to communication, especially when they need it most,” says Samsung President Won-Joon Choi.
It’s still early days (these phones aren’t even in consumers’ hands yet), but presumably this will work similarly to how it already does on Google and Apple phones: If you’re off cellular and Wi-Fi networks, you’ll be able to send emergency communications over a satellite network.
We’ll keep you posted on when this will appear for everyone and how you can access it. Samsung also notes that availability “may vary depending on OS/One UI version,” so you may need to have the latest software installed for this to work.
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