Google’s Pixel 9 Satellite SOS In-Depth Hands-On

If you're a Pixel 9 owner, your phone comes equipped with the ability to connect to a satellite when you need help. Satellite SOS gets triggered by attempting a 911 call. If you don't have a cell signal or aren't connected to Wi-Fi, the new service can help you contact emergency responders. Google talked with CNET more about how the Satellite SOS works and even let us try a demo out at its headquarters in Mountain View, California.

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0:00 Google’s Pixel 9 Satellite SOS Explained
1:33 See Satellite SOS in Action
2:17 Communicating Your Emergency Situation
3:41 Google's Satellite SOS Impressions
4:59 Satellite SOS Availability

#pixel9 #pixel9pro #emergencysos #google #satellite

[georgeh]

After the free period, this service should be sold on a per-use basis. Requiring a subscription is likely going to lead to horror stories of people who tried to use it in an emergency but could not because they did not have the subscription and ended up dying instead. VW had an SOS feature which they sold by subscription. Then someone got into trouble and were unable to get help because they did not have the subscription first. That made VW look very bad.

[elliot]

I hope they make a demo for anyone to try. Like Apple does.

My family didn’t even know Satellite SOS was a thing on their iPhones until I showed them with the Demo. They were impressed and they have it on at all times now.

I wish I could show my Android friends how to use their Satellite SOS.

[thewolfieboie]

yes this can become a major feature for smartphones as it is essential for communication in difficult situations

[BrandonWatkinsBmW]

I just don't understand why this feature is limited to 911 calls only. If it's potentially a paid service later on. I mean you have 7 years of guaranteed updates. However, you only get this service for 2 years, and then an unknown amount after that time. If it's something I'm going to be paying for, it's something that I would like to use more frequently than hopefully never like in an emergency 911 call scenario. Garmin's new inreach message plus allows for cause text and even photos to be transferred to any user at any point in time. If you're going to make a really cool feature like this, enable it for daily use. A good start for sure but I'm already looking forward to Gen 2 or 3. Doesn't quite make me want to swap from my pixel 7 pro yet.

[ChrisJ-nw]

Subscription is not a good idea for things like emergency service. How about make it as a per use charge where people could pay after they got helped and safe. That's easy logic and common sense.

[ngb]

How can you use this if you’re trapped then ? If you can’t even stand behind a building

[dman]

what about other environmental hazards besides fire? tornado? some could fall within 'trapped' like flash flood or hazards like downed power lines

[antonywalter]

I use the Motorola defy satellite link with the Bullitt Satellite messenger app, not just SOS but 2 way messaging to any smartphone.

[moisessilva]

Satellite connectivity is definitely my #1 thing to look for in an new phone.

[stevetech]

Once or twice a year I go backpacking in remote areas and will buy this phone for this purpose and a few other things I like.

[intothebeyond]

Good luck staying still in a huge clearing or open field while being chased by a lions, tigers and bears 🐻 . Oh my.

[AndreiBelski-fsot]

Do people in Google really think that if there is no service people will try to dial 911? Are they drunk there, they should take the same approach as apple did

[vin.k.k]

I have a question for Aisha, the software manager, why do they limit usage of essential features to only select countries? Features like VoLTE etc.

[GabeOW]

That feature is a must on my next phone purchase. Phones these days just don't have enough in them to validate an upgrade. The iPhone XR is like 6 years old and still gets software updates. It's also fast enough for everything you can do on a phone. Once my phone stops getting updates then I'll upgrade.

[killjoyk]

0:09 A shielded box to block radio signals? How will that help the radio signals send and receive to the satellite.

[hdtravel]

This is an extremely useful feature - I would only buy a new phone that offers this - there are many areas that I go that have no cellular service - this feature saves lives.

[TheAegisClaw]

Would this work at sea, if youre rolling about in a storm or would that movement break the connection?

[LC]

Seems like it is worse than Apple before it even launches. Apple lets you sent messages to anyone

[williamfredrick]

The entire network for all functions will be satellite based soon. In two years when they start to charge for it, it will already be outdated by the carriers. But, it is a great life saving tool in the interem. No doubt about that.

[acm]

4:05 who has bought a pixel and have gotten lost within a month of having the phone? This is a new phone and you're also telling me after they’ve had an emergency within this month ans the second thing they do is, they contact pixel to thank them? That’s not believable that multiple people have done that. I've own only Google phones since the nexus devices and still don't belive that. Lol