Samsung Galaxy S26 could finally offer satellite connectivity with support for voice calls, just like Apple's iPhone and Google Pixel phones.
Samsung's Exynos Modem 5400 offered only basic satellite support
Photo Credit: Samsung
The Samsung Galaxy S26 series isn't expected to arrive for a couple of months, according to recent reports, but the South Korean tech giant has quietly unveiled the Exynos Modem 5410, a dedicated 5G chip expected to arrive on select Galaxy S26 models alongside the Exynos 2600 processor. This modem supports LTE Direct-to-Cell (DTC) satellite technology, allowing voice and video calls in remote and no-signal areas. This indicates that Samsung's Galaxy S26 family could offer enhanced satellite connectivity for the first time, marking a significant upgrade over the Galaxy S25, which offered limited functionality.
According to the listing on Samsung's website, the Exynos Modem 5410 combines advanced satellite and cellular connectivity into a single chip. It supports LTE DTC, NB-IoT NTN, and NR NTN satellite communication technologies based on the 3GPP Release 17 standard.
Samsung says LTE DTC expands capabilities by enabling voice calls. At the same time, NB-IoT NTN supports location sharing and text transmission through satellites located high above the earth, which means that users could make calls or send messages when they are in remote locations, such a s a desert. Furthermore, the NR-NTN enables higher-quality communication, such as video calls.
Samsung's previous Exynos Modem 5400 offered only preliminary satellite support. The new model is claimed to bring reliable and secure communications through support for Root of Trust based Hybrid PQC and low-power consumption.
With the new modem, the Galaxy S26 family is expected to offer improved satellite calling features along with potentially longer battery life. This could mark a major upgrade over the Galaxy S25 lineup, which only supported basic emergency texting via satellite. This feature is already available in Apple's iPhone and Google Pixel phones.
Samsung Galaxy S26 series could launch in February with Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra models. They could run on a Galaxy-branded variant of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset in select markets. Markets like South Korea and Europe could receive the Exynos 2600 chipset-powered variants.
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