The Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro could be in line for two major upgrades that would help them better compete with the best phones, including the best iPhones.
Both of these improvements would be enabled by a new modem, which might not sound that exciting, but bear with us. According to a ‘Google insider’ speaking to Android Authority, the Pixel 9 line will have a new Samsung Modem 5400, and this will apparently add support for satellite connectivity.
This would supposedly allow you to text (but not call) when there’s otherwise no signal, and there's also said to be a ‘Satellite Gateway’ app that will allow for quick and easy communication with emergency services.
Rather than having to type long messages, you’ll be able to answer a set of basic questions, some of which have multiple-choice answers, so the system can quickly narrow down what your emergency is. Possible questions apparently include things like ‘What happened?’ and ‘What is on fire?’
Android Authority reports that system would be supported through T-Mobile, which likely means that non-T-Mobile customers won’t be able to access it, but other networks might be supported in future.
This could be a potentially life-saving feature, and it’s something the likes of the iPhone 15 series already offers, so the addition of emergency satellite communications could help Google compete with Apple.
This new modem could also improve general connectivity on the Pixel 9 line, which is notable because Pixel users have reported numerous network issues over the years, so any improvement in stability and reliability would be desirable.
Coming to several upcoming devices
This new modem – along with its satellite communications capabilities – apparently won’t be exclusive to the Pixel 9 line. The source claims it will be coming to all cellular-enabled devices that have a Tensor G4 chipset, and specifically mentions the next-generation Pixel Fold and a future 5G tablet, which is apparently codenamed ‘Clementine’.
That ‘next-generation Pixel Fold’ is presumably the Pixel Fold 2, but apparently the Pixel 9 series will be the first devices to get the Tensor G4, meaning that whatever foldable gets it would have to launch either later than the Pixel 9 or at the same time.
That’s notable because the original Google Pixel Fold shipped back in June, and if the Fold 2 lands a year later then it would land before the Pixel 9 (which is expected in October).
But we've previously heard that the Pixel Fold 2 might land alongside the Pixel 9, so this leak adds credence to that claim. Either that, or we might be waiting until the Pixel Fold 3 for satellite communications.
As for the unnamed tablet, that might be the Pixel Tablet 2, though again it could arrive too early to benefit from the modem upgrade, so we might be waiting until the Pixel Tablet 3.
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