Pixel Watch 4: Satellite Communication for Emergency Situations?
I've been following the rumors about the Pixel Watch 4, and it seems like Google might be adding a potentially life-saving feature: Emergency Satellite Communication. Leaks suggest this is coming, and I've found some interesting clues that corroborate this.
Basically, some folks have been digging around in the code of the Satellite Gateway app – the one that handles satellite SOS on Pixel phones. What they've found are snippets that directly mention smartwatches in the context of this feature. This "APK teardown," as it's called, isn't a guarantee, but it's a pretty strong hint.
The code even references something called "watchui," which, to me, pretty clearly indicates that this satellite communication feature is heading to a smartwatch. However, the code also includes checks that look for "isPixelDevice" and, more specifically, "isPixelWatch." This suggests that, at least initially, this feature will be exclusive to the Pixel Watch.
Will it be exclusive to the Pixel Watch 4?
That's the big question, isn't it? I haven't seen anything that explicitly links the emergency satellite communication to the Pixel Watch 4. And since smartwatches have limited space, it's possible Google might take a similar route like Apple, which offers Emergency SOS via satellite on its Watch, but it needs an iPhone to work. Perhaps Google will make it so that the Pixel Watch uses your phone to connect to a satellite, which would be an extension of the Satellite SOS on Pixel phones. If that's the case, older Pixel Watches could get the feature too.
However, Google might also keep it exclusive to the new watch. It's a way to entice people to upgrade. It's possible they could release it to older watches later in time with software updates.
For now, it's all speculation. Google hasn't confirmed anything about the Pixel Watch 4 or this satellite SOS feature. But I'll definitely keep you updated as I learn more.
Source: AndroidAuthority