Google Messages might leapfrog Apple regarding satellite connectivity

The past several weeks have seen a significant increase in the amount of information that is publicly available. We already know that Google is working on including the necessary components in Android 14 to enable satellite communication. New strings in the code now reveal which service provider Google is partnering with: Garmin Response. The company is getting ready to introduce satellite emergency messaging capabilities to Google Messages.

Strings have surfaced in Google Messages that specifically mention Garmin regarding emergency services, reading: “Messaging by satellite ended,” according to @neil_rahmouni on Twitter/X (via Mishaal Rahman). Call Garmin Response at (TEXT) if you have any inquiries regarding your emergency. Call the local emergency hotline to report a fresh emergency. Although SOS features aren’t active in Messages just yet, this is solid evidence that the firm is close to finishing the feature’s development.

One of the better options for Google is probably Garmin Response. The SOS services are presently accessible in more than 150 nations across all continents, according to the Garmin Response website. Google may potentially reach a lot more people with this capability than Apple presently does with the emergency SOS program on the iPhone 14, which is only available in a few Western nations, even though it’s uncertain whether Google will roll it out globally.

Neel Rahmouni is quick to note that since the strings only appeared in the most recent Google Messages update, they are a recent creation that may be abandoned or modified in the future. The fact that Google would probably avoid including strings referring to a third party if the parties hadn’t already entered into a contract increases the likelihood that Garmin will be a part of the feature’s introduction. As new hardware would probably be needed for satellite communication, a debut alongside the Google Pixel 8 series is a possibility.