January 24, 2025
Qualcomm Confirms Samsung Galaxy S25 Series Supports Satellite Connectivity
Samsung Galaxy S25 series is currently available for pre-order in India. The lineup includes the base Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra handsets, which are powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite chipsets. Qualcomm has announced that the Galaxy S25 series smartphones are the "first commercial devices to feature Snapdragon Satellite."

Samsung Galaxy S25 series was unveiled globally on January 22 at the Galaxy Unpacked 2025 event in San Jose, California. The lineup includes the base Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra handsets, which are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipsets. The phones are currently available for pre-order in India. In the meantime, Qualcomm has announced that the Galaxy S25 series is the “first commercial devices to feature Snapdragon Satellite” which will allow users to access satellite connectivity.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Series Supports Satellite Connectivity

Qualcomm confirms in a press release that Samsung Galaxy S25 series smartphones “are the first commercial devices to feature Snapdragon Satellite.” This feature enables users to send and receive messages via satellite using narrowband (NB) to connect with non-terrestrial networks (NTN).

The Samsung Galaxy S25, alongside the Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25 Ultra, carry the customised Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy. This chipset includes the Snapdragon X80 5G modem that the Snapdragon Satellite is part of. However, the feature has not yet been activated on any of the flagship phones.

Samsung could activate the dormant satellite connectivity feature over a software update. The availability of the feature could vary by region as well. It is also being speculated that other flagship handsets running on Snapdragon 8 Elite with the Snapdragon Satellite feature may offer a satellite connectivity option.

Qualcomm added that it worked with Samsung to optimise the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset for Gemini AI features and Spatio-Temporal Filter (STF) support integration. It is said to offer improved low-light “video capture capabilities, even at 8K 30fps.”

Notably, the vanilla Samsung Galaxy S25 starts in India at Rs. 80,999 for the 12GB + 256GB variant, while the Galaxy S25+ begins at Rs. 99,999 for the same configuration. The top-of-the-line Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, on the other hand, starts at Rs. 1,29,999 for the same 12GB + 256GB option. They are currently available for pre-order in the country via the official website as well as physical stores.