We've heard rumors and reports of Google adding satellite connectivity to Android 15 and Pixel phones, but one big question has always lingered in our minds. The good news is that, like Apple's emergency SOS via satellite, it should be free. The bad news is that it probably won't stay that way forever.

Android Authority revealed potential details about the Pixel Satellite SOS feature during a breakdown of Android 15 beta 4, which was released last week. The string revealed in the beta reveals the name Pixel Satellite SOS and the fact that this service will be free for two years.

The site notes that this text may be just a placeholder, but it makes sense that Google would go this way; Pixel Satellite SOS is a simple, straightforward name for what this feature does. Offering this feature for free for the first two years is consistent with what Apple offers with its emergency SOS via satellite.

I bet Google will offer a similar price tag to Apple's satellite messaging service, but it depends on whether Apple will actually tell people how much they will have to pay after the two-year free trial is over. There is still a chance that Apple will extend the free period again, as it did when it launched the iPhone 15 last year. However, the first pricing details may be revealed when Apple announces the iPhone 16 at an event in September.

Given that Apple's satellite service has made headlines for helping people in need. So the fact that it is coming to more smartphones is definitely a good thing - even if the Android version was initially pixel-only. I've heard talk of satellite support being offered on Android 15, but that would depend on specialized hardware, so it would be up to the people who actually make the phones.

Texting also suggests that some Pixel phones will be “updated” to support satellite communications. However, as far as we know, this is unlikely, as older Pixel phones do not contain the proper hardware. However, as Android Authority points out, this could also mean that this feature will not work right out of the box, but will actually debut on the Pixel 9 as a software update in a future Pixel Feature Drop.

More details on the Pixel 9 series will probably be revealed at the Made by Google event on August 13.