Google plans to add a function similar to Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite feature to the Pixel 9 and future Pixel Fold models. According to leaked information, this feature will initially be offered in the USA in cooperation with T-Mobile, but other service providers may be added in the future. This development aims to enable users to receive help more quickly and effectively in emergency situations.
According to Android Authority's Kamila Wojciechowska, Google's SOS feature will try to determine what happened by asking users various questions about their status. Thus, users will not have to type any text. Wojciechowska also gives examples of what these questions might be: “What happened?”, “Are you breathing?”, “How many people are lost or trapped?” like.
User experience of the new SOS feature expected in Pixel 9
While introducing this feature, Google will show animations that will help users align their phones correctly with the satellite. These animations are designed to communicate quickly and accurately in an emergency. These animations are demonstrated in detail in a video published by Android Authority.
Last year, a developer found traces in Google Messages code that suggested the feature would be provided by Garmin. Garmin offers this service to its InReach two-way messaging devices, which can reach any point on Earth via the Iridium satellite network. This shows that Google's satellite SOS feature may have extensive reach.
T-Mobile announced more than a year ago that it was collaborating with SpaceX on a satellite messaging service. However, no information has yet been provided about the pricing of this service and it was stated that it was still in the testing phase as of January. While Apple is currently subsidizing this service, it is a matter of curiosity whether Google will offer similar support.
The fact that Garmin offers this type of service for a starting price of $15 per month indicates that this feature may not be free. However, it is conceivable that Google could offer it to its users at affordable prices, or perhaps for free, in order to gain a competitive advantage. This can be seen as one of Google's steps to improve user experience.
In summary, this satellite SOS feature that Google plans to add to the Pixel 9 series can provide great help to users in emergency situations. This feature is important as one of the practical reflections of technological developments in our daily lives.