During the Made By Google event, the search giant announced that the Pixel 9 series will get Satellite SOS feature. However, the company neglected to mention on stage that the feature would be limited to the U.S.
Per additional details in a Satellite SOS support document spotted by Engadget, the feature will only work in the U.S. (excluding Hawaii and Alaska) and only on the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL and 9 Pro Fold.
It’s not clear if or when the company will expand Satellite SOS to other regions. MobileSyrup reached out to Google Canada for additional details and will update this story accordingly.
The support document also details how Google’s Satellite SOS feature will work. When users dial 911 without access to a mobile or Wi-Fi network, an option to use Satellite SOS should appear. When users tap it, they’ll be asked to describe the emergency and fill out a questionnaire and follow the on-screen prompts to position their phone. Once positioned, the phone will connect to the satellite and allow an emergency service provider to reply to users’ emergency text.
The support document also points out that people will need to use Google Messages as their default messaging app to use Satellite SOS.
Overall, it sounds like Satellite SOS works a lot like Apple’s Emergency SOS via Satellite functionality. It’s just a bummer it’s not available in Canada yet. In the years since Emergency SOS via Satellite came out, it’s helped rescue several people, including stranded snowmobilers and Canadians stranded in snow. It even helped raise the alarm over an Ontario wildfire.
With that in mind, it’d be great to see more smartphone manufacturers adopt emergency features like this in Canada. Hopefully Google brings Satellite SOS north soon.
You can read all the news about today’s Google event by following this link.
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