You told us: Satellite connectivity is neat, but no extra charges please

It seems like satellite connectivity is the latest trendy feature set to hit smartphones, as T-Mobile recently announced a partnership with SpaceX, Google confirmed support in Android 14, and Apple is widely expected to offer the functionality. This tech could go some way to ensuring that there are no dead zones anymore.

But is it just another overhyped feature or is it worth waiting for? We asked Android Authority readers whether they cared about satellite connectivity on their phones and here’s what they told us.

Do you care for satellite connectivity on your phone?

Results

Just over 1,900 votes were cast in this poll after we posted it on September 2. And it turns out that the most popular option was “I don’t mind, as long as I don’t pay extra,” with 52.76% of the vote. Many respondents seem intrigued by satellite coverage on their phones but not to the extent that they’d specifically pay for it.

We can understand this stance, as satellite coverage for phones is limited to texting and emergency services right now. Most people live in areas with cellular coverage too, so paying extra for a fallback service doesn’t make sense unless you spend plenty of time in dead zones anyway (e.g. mountains, off-shore locations, national parks, etc).

Meanwhile, 26.8% of polled readers said they did care for the functionality and that they really need it. Presumably, these respondents live in areas with dead zones or constantly visit areas with poor coverage.

In third place was “no, I’m happy with my coverage,” accounting for 13.82% of the vote. Finally, 6.62% of polled readers simply said they were indifferent to satellite connectivity. In other words, cellular connectivity seems good enough for these users right now, especially compared to the current state of satellite coverage for phones.

Comments

• Gen2CamaroZ28: Life-changing!! My parents house we have to set out phones on antenna boosters just to get one bar. Would be nice to be able to count on having coverage in emergencies. Second of all, coverage is still missing for places I spend a lot of time, so it’s a game changer there too. I’ve gotten used to not having phone access because phone coverage is terrible in most rural areas. I can’t stay on phone calls even when driving through Michigan or Kentucky even on highways. Then when we go camping, we never have coverage. Last trip we had a tire blowout and I had to walk a mile and knock on a strangers door just to get help. It was scary, and I had to leave my wife and kids back at the car.
• serge bureau: Maybe useful for one in 10000 users.
• Charles Copley: I don’t need it, but when my parents are travelling across the country, having that satellite connection when cellular is nixed would help tremendously.
• Mark McCoskey: Cristiano Amon just mentioned satellite connectivity in his IFA 2022 Keynote speech with regards to Snapdragon Connectivity. It’s coming.