Déjà vu: No two-way satellite SOS connectivity on the Galaxy S24?

At the very beginning of February 2023, satellite connectivity on the just-unveiled Galaxy S23 series was nowhere to be seen.

TM Roh, the head of Samsung's MX (mobile experience) unit, said in an interview that the satellite functionality is “too limited”. Roh said, "When there is the right timing, infrastructure, and the technology [is] ready, then of course for Samsung Galaxy, for our mobile division, we would also actively consider adopting this feature as well".

A year has (almost) passed since and we could very well hear those exact same words and not get satellite connectivity capabilities on the Galaxy S24 series. A new report says so (via SamMobile).

This report (from ETNews) claims that right now, Samsung is testing the Galaxy S24 with the three South Korean network operators – KT, LG Uplus, and SK Telecom. The mobile carriers are checking if the Galaxy S24 Ultra performs as it should on their cellular networks. Samsung provided them with the Galaxy S24 Ultra that is packed in the shape of a lunch box so as to not reveal its looks. As per the report, it appears that there is “no mention of two-way satellite connectivity on the phone” – not great news for all those that wait for such a feature to come in the Galaxy galaxy.

Wait, wasn’t satellite connectivity on the Galaxy S24 (almost) 100% sure?

Your memory serves you correctly. Exactly two weeks ago, there was a rumor that the new top-notch Galaxy line could feature an emergency satellite connection.

There was an alleged screenshot that leaked and revealed what Samsung might call an emergency texting feature on the Galaxy S24. The feature is dubbed ‘Emergency texts via satellite'. So, if you find yourself in a situation where you try to call emergency services but you're out of range or not connected to a mobile network, Samsung will let you send an emergency text via satellite.

That means you’ll be able to send vital information on your whereabouts, or your GPS location to emergency response teams and get help. There isn’t any information on whether this satellite emergency connectivity will be limited to one of the two chips (Exynos and Snapdragon) in the Galaxy S24 line, so the report says the feature will likely be available on both SoC variants. It remains to be seen where this feature will be first available, if present, and what countries it could expand to in the near future.

For example, Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite feature was only available in the US and Canada initially. Then, it was gradually introduced to France, Germany, Ireland, the UK, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland.