Google confirms that support for satellite connections will be introduced in Android 14

According to CTOnews.com9 News on March 2, Tianfeng International analyst Guo Mingyi said on August 29 that Apple was indeed developing satellite communications for the iPhone 14 / Pro series and completed hardware testing of the function before mass production. In addition, Huawei's new Mate 50 / Pro series may also provide emergency text message services through satellite communications supported by Beidou system.

In addition to Apple and Huawei, Google also seems to be working on satellite connectivity. Hiroshi Lockheimer, senior vice president of Google's platform and ecosystem, said in a tweet yesterday that it was very difficult to get 3G+WiFi to work when it launched its first Android phone, the HTC G1, in 2008. Now, Google has begun to connect mobile phones to satellites, and Google will provide this feature in the next version of Android.

Google has confirmed that the next version of Android will be Android 14, which means it is possible for Google to introduce support for satellite connectivity through an update to Android 14, 9To5Google reported.

Currently, the Google Android Beta plan page has been updated, Google said: "the Android 13 QPR beta update will continue until March 2023, followed by the Android 14 beta." This means that the Android 14 developer preview may be launched in March next year.

CTOnews.com learned that the satellite communication function is mainly a supplement to the terrestrial cellular communication system, which is mainly used in remote areas where optical fiber and base stations are not convenient to deploy, ocean and sky scenes, and emergency disaster relief scenarios.