Google might be adding satellite support to the Pixel 8
It has been rumored that Apple could perhaps include satellite capability in the iPhone 14 in order to keep people connected regardless of where they are, and it now appears that Google has similar intentions for its software and hardware in the year 2023. According to Hiroshi Lockheimer, the senior vice president of Android (via XDA Developers), his team is “designing for satellites,” and they will be “enabling all of this in the next version of Android,” which will be Android 14. This information comes from Hiroshi Lockheimer, who says that his team is “designing for satellites.”
Android 13 has only recently begun its rollout, so it is likely that Android 14 will arrive in the following year. If the software support is present for accessing services via satellite networks, then it is likely a feature that might make its way into the Google Pixel 8 later on in 2023. This would be the case if the software support is there. In this particular instance, Lockheimer does not go into a significant amount of information, and it is very evident that we are still in the extremely preliminary phases. Based on what we know about Apple from the rumors, it seems that satellite connections could be used in emergency situations in places where cellular networks don’t work.
This is only the second time that we have heard anything about Android 14, which will most likely be introduced at the Google IO event that will take place in May of next year. There was a previous rumor that the operating system had been given a codename, but other than that, not much is known about it at this point. There hasn’t been much in the way of leaks and rumors concerning the Pixel 8 either (the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are anticipated to ship the following month). The only thing that has been reported is that work on the Tensor 3 chipset for the Pixel 8 has supposedly already begun.
Satellite connectivity was rumored to be coming with the iPhone 13 back in 2021, so this innovative mobile technology hasn’t just appeared out of nowhere – it’s actually been in the pipeline for several years at this point. You might remember that satellite connectivity was rumored to be coming with the iPhone 13. However, it does seem as though there is increased momentum behind satellite-ready smartphones. Technology is becoming more dependable and less expensive, and it is now making its way into products that people can really afford and purchase.
The concept behind this is that rather than searching for a cell tower or a Wi-Fi network to connect to, a device can gain access to the rest of the world by connecting to a satellite in space that is operated by a company such as Starlink. This would be similar to how GPS works, except that it would provide data rather than a location fix. It is likely that connectivity will be confined to emergency or backup use, so you won’t be able to stream videos out in the middle of nowhere. The next stage is to include it in cellphones as well, but don’t anticipate too much too soon.