Samsung Galaxy S23 is skipping satellite connectivity, one of the most notable features that Apple introduced when it debuted its new iPhone 14 series.

The South Korean phone maker is sitting on this feature — even if Qualcomm previously announced that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which powers the S23 series, supports satellite features.

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A man rides an escalator next to a booth of Galaxy mobile phones by Samsung, a main sponsor of the International Olympic Committee, at the Main Press Centre of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on January 28, 2022.

So the move was quite surprising for some spectators and fans. After all, previous reports and predictions suggest that Samsung is gearing up to introduce such a feature for its latest flagship lineup.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Skips Satellite Connectivity

The Korean tech giant debuts its all-new Galaxy S23 series, including the S23, S23 Plus, and S23 Ultra.

Although these new sets of Android mobile devices feature battery and camera upgrades, they lack satellite connectivity.

As per a report by CNET, Apple introduced a satellite communication feature for the iPhone 14 lineup last year, allowing users to reach out to authorities even without any cell signal.

After the iPhone maker debuted the new revolutionary connectivity support, the chipmaker that powers all sorts of Android phones, Qualcomm, promised to bring a similar feature to smartphones released in 2023.

But despite that, the connectivity feature is nowhere to be seen in the new Samsung flagship lineup, The Verge reports.

Why is Samsung Missing Out on Satellite Connectivity?

No less than the president of Samsung, TM Roh, who also sits as the head of the mobile experience business, explained their decision to skip the emerging smartphone trend.

The Samsung president admits there is growing interest in satellite connectivity since Apple introduced it to the market.

(Photo : Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
DJ Koh, president and CEO of Samsung Electronics, presents the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 smartphone during a launch event at Barclays Center on August 7, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Samsung announced the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10 Plus smartphones.

Given that, why did the Korean phone maker decide to release the S23 series without it?

Roh believes it is too early to dip their toes in the new feature. He further noted that the connection itself is still quite limited.

The Samsung president told CNET they will consider adopting the feature "when there is the right timing, infrastructure, and the technology [is] ready."

He notes that "we would also actively consider adopting this feature as well."

Read Also: Samsung Galaxy S23 Series: How The LPDDR5X RAM Affects Its Performance

Samsung's Efforts for Emergency Communication

The big boss of Samsung adds that he does not "believe that is the end-all or be-all of the solutions to ensure peace of mind among users."

The tech exec went on to highlight the other efforts of the renowned phone maker, including the expansion of 5G support and the upgrades on the sensors of its mobile devices.

Roh notes that these efforts also help its users to reach out for help during emergencies.

Here's how to pre-order the new Samsung Galaxy S23 series. 

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