Last year, the Samsung Galaxy S23 was expected to adopt satellite communications, a feature that Apple introduced with the iPhone 14 a few months ago. Essentially, this feature allows users to connect to a satellite in emergency situations when regular phone signals are not available. It's a niche feature that we can only hope we never need, but for some it has already proven to be a lifesaver.

Samsung, however, insisted that it was too early to introduce this feature and decided not to. TM Roh, Samsung's president of mobile experience, said in February, "When the right timing, infrastructure, and technology are in place, Samsung Galaxy, and of course our mobile division, will actively consider adopting this feature."

Now, apparently, the time is right. Sisa Journal, reporting on a keynote speech at the SEDEX semiconductor exhibition given by Samsung's Park Young-in, stated that the company has confirmed that it will support satellite services for smartphones starting next year.

Although the Samsung Galaxy S24 was not mentioned by name, it seems certain that such a premium feature will be included in the flagship device. The only reason it might not appear is if it is not yet ready for the phone's projected February launch - in which case it will likely appear on the company's folderable that has historically followed in August. If it does appear on the S24, it will likely appear on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 as well.

At the time this feature was said to be coming to the Galaxy S23, it was expected to be very basic and allow for emergency SMS text messaging and low-resolution image sharing. It is not clear whether Samsung could have improved on this over the extra time, but at the time there was reason to believe that including things like high-speed data and voice would require a much larger antenna. Of course, the subsequent design trade-offs for features that most buyers would never use did not seem sensible.

Even if it is included in the S24 series, it is unlikely to be a major selling point, as all three models will feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with AI.

In particular, Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra will feature a "vastly improved" 3x zoom camera that will provide an exciting tool for filmmakers, allowing them to simultaneously shoot tracked zoomed video and full angle shots.