The Google Pixel 9 could support life-saving satellite-based SOS features

If you're on the lookout for a new Android phone over the next year or so and are the kind of person who finds themselves in situations where cell service might not be as strong as it could be, you might want to consider a phone that has satellite SOS communication features. And according to a new report, there could be two new phones with that characteristic towards the end of this year.

That report comes via leaker Kamila Wojciechowska, writing for Android Authority, and there are a number of details shared as part of the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro relations. One of those details includes the suggestion that Google will add a potentially life-saving feature to the phones. Emergency SOS features are vital and have been proven to save lives in the past, especially among iPhone owners, and the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro seem set to feature a T-Mobile and SpaceX-powered alternative.

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The technology will reportedly be part of a special Satellite Gateway app that will allow satellite communications with emergency services via an Emergency SOS feature.

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That feature will allow for short messages to be sent and received when there is no cellular signal, but there will be no phone calls available due to the low bandwidth connection. According to that report, the app will offer a number of predesigned questions that are used to give first responders a way to get a proper understanding of the situation that people find themselves in. In a situation where time and brevity are of the essence, such a feature could be huge for people who need assistance.

While the report is essentially about the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, Android Authority also confirmed that the Pixel Fold and what is likely to be a new 5G-powered Pixel Tablet will also sport the same functionality.

There are a number of similar features on other phones with the iPhone 14 being the first Apple device to offer its Emergency SOS via Satellite functionality in 2022. The same feature is also available to owners of the iPhone 15 family of devices that were announced last year.

As for the Google phones, the company has obviously not yet confirmed when they will be announced. However, we do expect that Google will take the wraps off of its new flagship devices towards the end of the year, likely in October. That will come weeks after Apple's own flagship iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro devices have been released.