Samsung often builds its own alternatives to Google services, and it turns out that the company is building its own version of Android’s earthquake alerts system, and it has some options Google should perhaps consider.
As spotted by @GalaxyTechie, One UI 8 includes Samsung’s own version of an earthquake alerts system, though it’s not live in current beta versions of the update. Like Google’s overarching system for Android devices (which is available on Galaxy devices), Samsung’s system can detect an earthquake and provide an alert just before the seismic effects are felt “in your location.” A full-screen warning is displayed with an audible alert.
It’s unclear how well Samusng’s system would work compared to Google’s, as the larger Android system works across phones from other brands. However, given the wide use of Galaxy phones worldwide, it’s reasonable to assume it could accomplish the same goal.
What makes Samsung’s version of an earthquake alert system stand out compared to Google’s is that it has a few additional options.
Samsung lets you preview what these warnings look like, as well as logging previous warnings. You can also customize when the warnings arrive based on the seismic intensity both day and night. Samsung also shows a list of nearby emergency shelters and can show your emergency contacts and medical info on the display, something helpful for first responders.
Google’s version is presumably still more robust in terms of actual functionality, but I think it would be nice to see a few of these options in Android’s earthquake alerts system. In particular the ability to show emergency details and to trigger a preview of the system on demand.
The big question, though, is why this exists in the first place. Why does Samsung have its own earthquake alert system when Google already provides one to all Android phones? Being a separate APK, it’s relatively clear that this isn’t just Google’s offering. It’s possible this is for other regions, perhaps like China, where Google’s system isn’t running. This same user previously showed One UI’s hidden Android Auto alternative for China, so it wouldn’t be unprecedented.
Whatever the case, it’s a nice feature to see on Samsung’s part.
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