Daily Times

Android 14 will support satellite connectivity according to Google’s Senior Vice President of Platforms and Ecosystems Hiroshi Lockheimer. He has confirmed that the company is ‘designing for satellites’ and supports its partners in bringing this feature to the next version of Android. This revelation comes almost a week after T-Mobile and SpaceX announced their plan to eliminate dead zones around the world with Starlink V2. It will connect users directly to satellites eliminating the need for cellphone towers. Similarly, a recent report suggests that Apple already has satellite connectivity working on the iPhone 14.

Lockheimer hints that the user experience for smartphones directly connecting to a satellite will be vastly different from regular cellular connectivity. Not much else was revealed by him, except this feature will be enabled in Android 14.

In related news, SpaceX and T-Mobile have partnered to also bring satellite connectivity to phones in the US. The telecom operator plans to utilise thousands of Starlink satellites to give mobile users wireless connectivity in remote parts of the country. This service could offer text message support by the second half of 2023. Voice and data services are expected to arrive later.

Elon Musk also tweeted that the Starlink V2 service will be launched in 2023 with the plans of “eliminating dead zones worldwide.” He offered an open invitation to other carriers to work with Starlink.

Apple is also keen on offering satellite connectivity on the upcoming iPhone 14 series. According to a recent report, the Cupertino company had already finished the hardware test for satellite communication on iPhone 14 before the smartphones reached the mass production stage. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is unsure about the availability of this feature on the iPhone 14 as Apple will have to strike a deal with a satellite operator. If it is included, satellite connectivity on the iPhone 14 series will only offer emergency text and voice services.

On Twitter, Hiroshi Lockheimer, Google’s senior vice president of Platforms and Ecosystems, described how “it was difficult to get 3G + Wi-Fi to work” on the first Android phone (HTC Dream/T-Mobile G1) in 2008, 9To5Google reports.

“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,” Lockheimer tweeted. “Now we are designing for satellites. Cool! Excited to support our partners in enabling all of this in the next version of Android.” The Android team is now “designing for satellites”, and this support is planned for the “next version of Android”, which the tech giant has confirmed as Android 14.

The operating system’s release is likely to come in mid-to-late 2023, according to the report. According to Lockheimer, compared to standard LTE and 5G connections, “user experiences of phones that can connect to satellites” will be different. According to the report, satellite connectivity in phones is primarily aimed at emergency situations and getting rid of cellular dead zones.

Google’s Android next operating system will offer satellite connectivity. Google’s Senior Vice President of Platforms and Ecosystems Hiroshi Lockheimer has revealed on microblogging site Twitter. In his tweet, Lockheimer said that the company is ‘designing for satellites’ along with supporting other partners in enabling the new connectivity technology in next version of Android.

“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!,” reads Lockheimer tweet.

Satellite connectivity offers direct connectivity between smartphones and satellites, thus eliminating the need for network towers. Recently, Elon Musk’s SpaceX and T-Mobile have partnered to satellite connectivity on smartphones in the US. The telecom operator plans to use thousands of Starlink satellites to offer wireless connectivity in remote parts of the country.

Apple iPhone 14 series is also rumoured to come with satellite connectivity. The feature was first rumoured to come with iPhone 13. A Bloomberg report recently said that the feature will allow users to connect to mobile networks in remote areas, enabling them to send texts in emergency situations. They will also be able to report emergencies in areas where there is no cellular coverage using their iPhone. According to a reliable industry expert, Apple may partner with Globalstar for the feature on the upcoming iPhone.

The release of the operating system is likely in mid-to-late-2023, as per a 9to5Google report. Satellite connectivity on phones is primarily aimed at emergency situations and getting rid of cellular dead zones, the report said.

According to Lockheimer, compared to standard Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and 5G connections, user experiences for phones that can connect to satellites will be different.

This year’s iPhone 14 lineup could reportedly be launched with satellite connectivity and will be a few of the first smartphones to have support for the service.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, satellite communication was one of iPhone 14’s test items before mass production, and Apple had completed hardware tests for this feature.

The iPhone 14 lineup is expected to be announced during the Apple event on September 7.