These Android Verizon Users Can Now Send Satellite Messages to Anyone

WIRED

22-03-2025

Plus: Analogue delays its Nintendo 64 console, Fujifilm unveils a medium format camera, and Microsoft's Adaptive Joystick game controller goes on sale. Photograph: JHVEPhoto/Getty Images
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On Verizon? If you own a Google Pixel 9 or Samsung Galaxy S25 series phone and find yourself in a cellular dead zone, you can now send texts to your friends and family via satellite. This is the same functionality Apple introduced for the iPhone 14 and newer (regardless of carrier) in iOS 18.
While these Android phones have been able to connect to emergency services via satellite, they can now use satellite connectivity to send texts to anyone, regardless of the recipient's device or carrier. Verizon says this capability has already started to roll out but will take two weeks to complete.
Verizon isn't the only carrier focused on providing this kind of satellite connectivity to fill in the gaps in terrestrial cellular network coverage. T-Mobile recently announced a partnership with Starlink that's currently in beta until July. It lets you send and receive texts, and the carrier says you'll soon be able to share photos, use data, make voice calls, and more. T-Mobile's solution will be included for subscribers on its Go5G Next plan, and other customers can add it to their existing plan for $15 per month. AT&T is also working with AST SpaceMobile and recently tested a video call over satellite connectivity. This Handheld Console Lets You Relive Your Nintendo DS Dreams
You've seen the Steam Deck, you've seen the Switch, and you no doubt remember the Nintendo DS. But this newly announced gaming handheld, the OneXSugar, claims to do that all in one. The device has two screens and rotating gamepad controllers to allow it to transform into all sorts of clever modes of use. There's the standard landscape mode, using the primary 6-inch screen and the two sides of the controller. But flip up that screen and you'll get access to the 3.92-inch secondary square screen. That secondary screen can be used as a kickstand, or you can rotate the controllers to attach to the square screen. Now that's definitely unlike anything we've seen before.
The Android-based device, announced on Indiegogo, was unveiled alongside a new series of chips from Qualcomm designed specifically for gaming handhelds. The Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 boasts 28 percent improved graphics with ray tracing, specifically designed for cloud-based gaming and retro emulators. Just don't expect it to support Windows-level games like AMD's Ryzen Z-series chips, which you can find in handhelds like the popular Asus ROG Ally X.
The company behind the OneXSugar also has something more powerful in its lineup, the OneXPlayer G1, which is part laptop, part gaming handheld. No word on the price or release date yet, but hopefully we'll hear more details about the OneXSugar soon. — Luke Larsen Velotric's Breeze 1 Is a Commuting, Crusing Ebike
After multiple rounds of layoffs and pulling out of the European market, Rad Power Bikes' new CEO recently stepped down. That leaves a big, Rad-sized hole in the direct-to-consumer electric bike space—a space the company created when Mike Radenbaugh founded Rad in 2007.
Which company will fill in the gap? We're most excited to test one of the new bikes from the up-and-coming Velotric. The Breeze 1 launched on March 18. It's a commuter bike built like a cruiser, with a comfortable, upright seating position on a step-through frame and a powerful 750-watt motor with a 70-mile range.
The bike also has a few cool tricks up its sleeve. For example, you can switch between using a torque sensor, which will adjust the pressure you need to pedal on mixed terrain, versus the more old-fashioned cadence sensor, which is best for longer stretches of roads. It's also integrated with Apple Find My and Apple Health, so if you're an iPhone user, you don't have to fiddle with your fitness tracker to log a bike ride. Most importantly, it weighs under 50 pounds and costs under $2,000. I'm unboxing my tester ride (in Violet Haze, naturally) as we speak. —Adrienne So Fujifilm Debuts a Medium Format Compact Camera
Anyone who's ever dreamed of a medium format Fujifilm X100 camera, dream no more. The new GFX100RF is just that. It takes the same minimalist, rangefinder styling of the X100 series, with dial controls and a nice wide-angle prime lens on the front, but adds a 102-megapixel medium format sensor.
There is a price to be paid for that much larger sensor though—the GFX100RF is larger and heavier than any of the X100 cameras. At 5.26 by 3.56 inches, with a depth of 3 inches, this isn't fitting in your pocket, nor is the 25.9 ounces (735 grams) light enough to let you throw it in your bag and forget about it. To make the GFX100RF weather-sealed you'll need to further bulk it up with an adapter ring and filter, just as you do with the X100VI.
Still, this is a very compelling camera, at least on paper. The 28-mm (full-frame equivalent) lens is a good all-around choice, though it's not the fastest at f/4 (f/3.1 full-frame equivalent). The huge sensor means you'll have considerable cropping ability. As you would expect from Fujifilm there are plenty of film simulations (20 in all) and ways to customize them. There's also an internal 4-stop neutral density filter that offers more exposure control options.
The back of the camera bears a striking resemblance to a competitor, namely the similarly priced Leica Q3 (9/10, WIRED Recommends). The GFX100RF has a slightly slower lens and a much larger sensor, but otherwise, the two cameras are closely matched in both specs and price. The GFX100RF is available for pre-order now for $4,900. It's also listed on Amazon, though the website says it's temporarily out of stock. — Scott Gilbertson Analogue Delays Its Retro N64 Console (Again)
The prospect of a new console capable of playing Nintendo 64 cartridges from the makers of the excellent Analogue Pocket got us excited, whether you loved the original N64 controller or not. But we'll have to wait longer to indulge in the N64 nostalgia because Analogue's 4K Nintendo 64 retro console is delayed until July. Originally planned to ship in 2024, then bumped to Q1 2025, preorders of the $250 Analogue 3D console are now closed. Analogue has employed field-programmable gate array (FPGA) tech in the new console, so it can play N64 cartridges from any region and plug into your TV via HDMI. The original N64 only outputs composite and s-video, making it difficult to pair with modern TVs. Analogue also partnered with one of our favorite game controller makers, 8BitDo on the 64 Controller.
Analogue has a good track record, and delays and production issues are sadly not uncommon for retro game consoles, but the company may have some competition after controversial ModRetro founder Palmer Luckey posted a teaser on X suggesting that he is also working on an N64 console (the M64). If you can't wait, the Polymega's Ultra Module Set allows you to play N64 carts on its console today, but it is far pricier than Analogue's 3D. If you preordered and fed up, you can cancel for a full refund. — Simon Hill You Can Now Buy Microsoft's Xbox Adaptive Joystick
Microsoft's Xbox Adaptive Joystick is now available for a cool $30. Announced at the company's Ability Summit, the Joystick is designed for people with limited mobility. It plugs directly into an Xbox or PC, and all the buttons can be remapped to a user's preference. You can also craft your own 3D-printed customizable thumbstick toppers through Xbox's Design Lab. Naturally, it's compatible with Microsoft's Xbox Adaptive controller.