Latest Android 15 beta release reveals important info about the Pixel's emergency satellite feature
The last scheduled Android 15 beta has been released and in three weeks the Pixel 9 series will be official. That means the stable version of Android 15 should be only a few weeks away. With the release of Android 15 beta 4, strings of code were discovered revealing information about the upcoming emergency satellite connectivity feature for Google's Pixel handsets. One particular string lets us know that the feature will be called Pixel Satellite SOS.
The same string of code tells us that the feature will probably be free to Pixel users for two years. "Satellite SOS is included at no charge for (two) years," the string states while also pointing out that Google Messages must be your default SMS app for the feature to work. We might also point out that in the actual string, the number two as in "Satellite SOS is included at no charge for (two) years" is in parenthesis which means that two years could be just a placeholder and that Satellite SOS might be free for a longer or shorter term.
In case of an emergency, the strings of code show that you will be asked to give certain information via text that will be shared with satellite service providers and 911 operators. This info includes "your name, email, phone number, location, device information, and emergency contact information."
Android 15 beta 4 contains hidden strings of code referencing Pixel Satellite SOS. | Image credit-Google
Yet another string of code mentions "Your Pixel has been updated to support satellite communication." Since the upcoming Pixel 9 series will have Android 15 pre-installed, it would seem that older Pixel models will be able to use "Satellite SOS" following an update. Either that or the Satellite SOS feature will be made available to Pixel 9 users via a future Pixel Feature Drop update. As the owner of a Pixel 6 Pro, I'm hoping that the former explanation is the correct one.
When Apple first launched Emergency SOS via satellite on the iPhone 14 series in 2022, it promised two free years of the service. Last November it extended the free service for an additional year with the service losing its free status starting in September 2025 for those who bought an iPhone 14 or iPhone 15 series handset. The actual date when the service is no longer free will be based on the date a specific iPhone was activated.
We should should learn more on August 13th about the Pixel Satellite Service when Google unveils the new Pixel 9 handsets.
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