What you need to know
- Samsung confirms in a press release that the Galaxy S26 series supports satellite connectivity for users in the U.S., Europe, and Japan.
- The company credited its ongoing partnerships with telecomm providers, such as T-Mobile’s T-Satellite, Verizon, and its continued work with AT&T to finally bring support to users.
- The Galaxy S25 had support for satellite connectivity right at launch; however, users were left without it, as it was up to their carrier to act on it.
Following Samsung’s big Galaxy Unpacked event on Wednesday, the company has announced satellite support for its latest series and more.
In a press release, Samsung confirmed its “continued expansion of satellite communication capabilities” for a few Galaxy phones. The Korean OEM states that it has included satellite connectivity support for the Galaxy S26 series, thanks to its “ongoing” partnerships with telecomm operators in the U.S., Europe, and Japan.
The company notes the importance of satellite connectivity as a means to ensure users experience a “reliable” connection in emergencies. Its post also highlights that it has worked to bring satellite connection support to devices since 2025. Services offered through T-Satellite with Starlink by T-Mobile came about in 2025 for “select” Galaxy flagships and Galaxy A-series models (after the Galaxy S21), per Samsung.
Android Central’s Take
It’s great to see Samsung taking charge in this regard for satellite connectivity. I’ll get into more of this in a moment, but in my opinion it’s better for it to be on the ball rather than letting things sit until the someone else is ready.
Verizon was stated to offer eSOS capabilities in the U.S., as well, “following the Galaxy S25 series.” When it comes to AT&T, Samsung states it’s working with the operator to bring such features to Galaxy phones. For Europe, the post highlights the company’s work with Virgin Media O2 for “select” Galaxy phones. Moreover, trials will begin soon in Spain for consumers on MasOrange. Vodafone and Samsung are said to be working together to bring support for future devices.
On the other hand, while some models have received support since 2025 for Japan through KDDI, Samsung says its work is continuing with SoftBank and docomo in 2026. Satellite support will roll out in “phases” for users in all regions.
Connection without a connection
Samsung made one final teaser, stating that it’s “also working with more telecommunications operators to expand support across other Galaxy product categories.”
We went through a similar phase last year with the Galaxy S25, as it was reported that the series supported satellite connectivity. However, there was a major catch: such support was up to your carrier and your carrier alone. Samsung reportedly did not make a deal with a satellite provider directly, meaning it didn’t have much say-so about its quick implementation.
Android Central’s Take
This is where things got a little weird for Samsung and people who were expecting satellite connectivity. Carriers were still getting into the vibe of things and since Samsung didn’t partner directly, it made things slow and tiresome. Now, with what it’s announced, things seem to be changing for the better—for everyone.
At the time, only Verizon customers could lean on the phone’s capabilities in emergencies. That changed when T-Mobile’s T-Satellite got off the ground and arrived on select devices back in October. Samsung’s devices, alongside Motorola’s, were some of the first to receive MMS text support over T-Mobile’s satellite service. It gave owners of those devices the ability to send images, GIFs, videos, and audio clips.
Since this was over satellite, T-Mobile warned users that they should expect long download times, especially with larger MMS files.
