Before Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 series in January, there were rumors that the new phones would include satellite messaging, similar to the feature available on Apple’s newer models. While this feature was not included at the launch, it’s now finally rolling out for some users.
According to SamMobile, some Galaxy S24 and Galaxy Z Fold 6 users in the U.S. are now starting to receive this feature.
Before getting too excited, however, this news comes with a caveat. It’s only available to T-Mobile customers who applied to test the company’s T-Mobile Starlink service. T-Mobile announced that feature in August 2022, and earlier this month, it (finally) announced that satellite messaging beta registration would soon be available for direct-to-cell satellite service. It doesn’t require a fee; you must have a postpaid account. You can sign up to test the feature now.
For users with supported devices, navigate to Settings > Connections > Satellite Networks to find the listing. Once set up, you can send and receive messages in areas without nearby cellular network coverage.
Mark Rober texts his dad from a satellite | T-Mobile
The T-Mobile Starlink service remains in beta. When released to the public, it should be available on any T-Mobile Android phone with LTE connectivity.
Android 15 introduced satellite messaging support to Android phones for the first time, potentially enhancing communication capabilities in remote areas where traditional cellular networks are unavailable. This feature enables users to send texts for emergencies and other important messages via satellite, ensuring connectivity even in the most isolated environments.
However, carrier support and compatible devices are required to utilize this functionality entirely. Unfortunately, most manufacturers are still integrating this capability into their devices.
Meanwhile, since the iPhone 14 series, Apple iPhones have supported satellite messaging.
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
Samsung’s One UI 7 beta is out today. Here are all the new features
Samsung has started the official rollout of the latest version of its One UI software for Galaxy smartphones, and there’s a very good chance you can try it out today. One UI 7 has been released as a beta version and is available for Samsung Galaxy S24 smartphones in the U.S., the U.K., India, Korea, Germany, and Poland starting today, December 5. To try it out, you must sign up to join the beta program, but what features will you get if you do?
New design and simplified home screen
Samsung says One UI 7 has a “significant new look” and a “simple, impactful, and emotive design” that includes less clutter on the screen, new One UI widgets, and greater customization features to give you finer control over the look and function of the software. The home screen and the lock screen have been simplified, too.
Now Bar
The most intriguing new design feature in One UI 7 is the Now Bar. Unfortunately, we’re going to have to wait to try it out because it’s “set to be supported on upcoming Galaxy S series devices,” which means it’s probably not going to appear on the Galaxy S24 or earlier devices and won’t be inside the beta version of the software you can try today.
The Now Bar is part of a new notification system that reduces the need to unlock your phone to view information or interact with notifications while also highlighting certain activities like music playback, the stopwatch, voice recording, and the AI Interpreter mode. Samsung claims the Now Bar will “transform the lock screen experience” and promises to support it with new features in the future. We may not get a look at the Now Bar until the Galaxy S25’s release, but it sounds a lot like Apple’s Dynamic Island and Live Activities features.
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The Android 15 beta for the Galaxy S24 could be here any day now
Samsung’s highly anticipated One UI 7 update (based on Android 15) has faced its fair share of delays. At Samsung’s developer conference earlier this year, the keynote speech announced that the update had been delayed until next year.
So far, Samsung hasn’t even issued the first beta for One UI 7/Android 15 — but a leak on X suggests it might arrive in the first week of December.
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The iPhone 16 just beat the Galaxy S24 in a 5G speed test. Here are the results
Ookla recently conducted 5G speed and latency tests for the iPhone 16 series. The results showed that these phones performed exceptionally well compared to their predecessors and major competitors — even outperforming the Samsung Galaxy S24 series.
According to Speedtest data collected from 11 selected countries worldwide, the iPhone 16 series surpassed the earlier iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 series in terms of speed and latency. Compared to competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S24, the iPhone 16 achieved mixed results, yet still scored well overall.
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