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Verizon Galaxy S25 units have a special edge over other variants

By Anam Hamid

Updated: Jan 24, 2025, 1:32 AM

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While T-Mobile was trying to bring satellite connectivity to smartphones released in the last two years, Verizon was also silently working to bring the feature to its customers. The carrier collaborated with its partner Skylo to enable satellite communication on the Samsung Galaxy S25 series.

Samsung spent the better part of its Galaxy S25 presentation focusing on the new series' AI capabilities and the overhauled One UI 7 interface. For some reason, it was eerily quiet about something that could have made quite a splash: satellite connectivity.

As Light Reading has pointed out, Verizon has enabled satellite SOS messaging on its Galaxy S25 units. This was first brought to light by Christian Frhr. von der Ropp, Independent Satellite & Telecoms Consultant.

Satellite SOS: Verizon now offers seamless connection to Satellite SOS messaging powered by Skylo on the Galaxy S25 series, in the unlikely event that you need emergency services and are in an area without cellular connectivity.

Verizon

The Galaxy S25 family is powered by the custom Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset and according to Qualcomm, it's a part of its Snapdragon Satellite program. The phones are capable of sending and receiving messages via non-terrestrial network (NTN) satellites. Skylo is the only company that can provide 5G NTN satellite service.

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In late 2023, Qualcomm terminated its partnership with satellite company Iridium to bring satellite connectivity to smartphones. Samsung still roped Qualcomm in to take care of the hardware aspect and handed over the satellite bit to Verizon, who is in a partnership with Skylo to launch direct-to-device messaging.

So what is Samsung’s mitigation strategy? Sidestep the Qualcomm-Iridium drama by forcing Qualcomm back into their role as hardware vendor, let them develop a 5G NTN-enabled chipset, integrate it into the S25 series and leaving it to the MNOs to sort out the satellite service.

Christian Frhr. von der Ropp, Independent Satellite & Telecoms Consultant, January 2025

It's not clear whether the functionality will work out of the box.

Regardless, it's a sign that T-Mobile is not the only carrier that will bring satellite connectivity to its customers this year. T-Mobile's service may be superior, at least initially though, as Verizon says on its website that the Galaxy S25 will only support satellite SOS messaging, meaning it will only help you connect to emergency services when you are in an area without cellular connectivity.

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.