Google is reportedly working on introducing a new modem to its upcoming devices. Through the new component, the devices will be able to achieve not only better connectivity but also an emergency satellite messaging capability.
According to a report from Android Authority, Google will be using the new Samsung Exynos Modem 5400. It will be used on three devices the company is already developing: the Pixel 9 series, the next-generation Pixel Fold, and a 5G tablet with the alias “clementine” internally.
The use of the new modem, despite not being a creation under Qualcomm’s branding, should bring huge improvements to the devices. No specific details are currently known about the modem, but it is expected to end the current issues being experienced by present Pixel devices powered with older modems. To recall, Exynos modem-powered Pixels, like Pixel 6 and 6a with Exynos Modem 5123, are no strangers to modem issues. However, even if Google is already using the improved Exynos Modem 5300 in the Pixel 7 series, 7a, 8 series, 8a, and the current Pixel Fold, the problem is still prevalent. As such, there’s hope that the shift to a new modem would end the mess.
Yet, as the report underscored, this won’t be limited to mobile connectivity. The Exynos Modem 5400 will also feature a satellite messaging capability, which would allow users to send messages using their future Google devices even in isolated areas.
This adds to the growing trend in the use of the SOS satellite emergency feature in smartphones, which was made popular by Apple when it injected it into its iPhone 14 series. Many brands, including Chinese-owned companies, are now offering it in their products, and Google wants to be a part of it.
The details of the feature are unspecific, but the leak shared that T-Mobile and SpaceX would aid the service initially. Also, it would only be available for messaging services and not for calling, unlike other devices with the same capability now. Moreover, just like in Apple, Google’s satellite feature will also ask users questions, allowing the service to identify the specific help the device owners need in particular situations. Ultimately, and as expected, the device would have to be positioned in a particular way, with the report noting that it spotted a Pixel Fold code instructing users to “rotate it %d degrees counter clockwise” in order to connect to the satellite.
