While the iPhones have been able to send urgent messages about satellites for years, Android consumer phones have been left behind, with only a few, such as the latest Google Pixel 9 series, providing similar services. Now, Verizon is providing his subscribers who also own the Samsung S25 Galaxy S25 series with satellites. I saw a demonstration of him in action.
2025 is forming the year that satellite connections-telephone can be dramatically expanded. Some phone creators have tried to provide links to selected models, and carriers have sought to provide service to most of their subscribers partizing with satellite companies. While T-Mobile is Beta trying her own system with Spacex’s Starlink Network, Verizon demonstrated how his subscribers will be able to use Galaxy S25 phones to send messages through satellites.
Verizon first announced his partnership with Skylo to provide her mobile subscribers with satellite connections last August. During a recent video phone call, people from Verizon Skylo satellite partner demonstrated how this will work for normal text. They used a Samsung reference device (an internal -use phone) that directed a modem Exynos 5400, which is also used on Google Pixel 9. It was created to avoid connecting to a cell network, thus simulating how satellite connection would work.
They asked for my personal mobile number, sent an SMS message, and I got it – after receiving about 8 seconds, one other time taking 27 seconds. I text a response, which took 17 seconds to reach their device. While the reference device was set to contact their test server than in an current emergency respondent, Skylo demonstrated the texts of the SMS course through satellites.
Skylo’s service can also be linked to emergency responders similar to how iPhone owners have used Emergency SO for years. At the demonstration, I saw that as a user would pass through a questionnaire that digest the details and severity of their emergency, which would all be addressed by a living person and followed by emergency services in their area.
“What we are trying to show here is the level of production level, which we have really worked on making it quiet,” said Pete Saladino, the global head of Skylo’s marketing. “And again, we are using existing satellites that are already in heaven.”
Read more: Space text: Even more phones can get satellite connection at 2025
Apple has partned with and made large financial investments in Globalstar to use his satellite constellation to support his iPhone 14, iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e with satellite connections. Skylo, on the other hand, does not have its satellites – on the contrary, it is a partner with half a dozen provider including Viasat, Echostar and inmars to use their satellites. It functions as a kind of signal manager to ensure, in this case, the owners of the Samsung Galaxy S25 with Verizon service are covered by satellite networks already operating in orbit.
Skylo’s already operating satellite network is an advantage for Verizon in the carrier race for satellite coverage, though now only supports Galaxy S25 phones. Pixel 9 phones have satellite links through a special deal with Skylo. Spacex’s T-Mobile partnership launched a new phase last month when a beta began to connect subscribers to Starlink satellites (which is accidentally available to Verizon and AT&T users). Together with Verizon, AT&T is still planning to connect its clients with the Ast Spacemobile satellite network, which just received approval from the Federal US Communications Commission to start testing this agreement.
The advantage of Skylo is using already located satellite networks, which currently cover a combined 50 million -square -kilometer territory (about five times the land of the HBA land). While Skylo’s semi-satellites and skills are satellites and skills, the company aims to provide uniform experience and approach, no matter where they connect. For example, they do not want customers to be able to send photos to a part of the globe and not to others under their same service.
Look at this: Offgrid HMD device gives your phone access to satellite networks
Telephone-Satellite connectivity has been limited to SMS messages and small data (such as Apple Imessage), but not more sophisticated communications beyond that still. Skylo is working to make vowel calls that we hope will be available as early as 2025, though it may reach in mid -2026.