According to a recent announcement from Apple, users of the iPhone 14 lineup in the United States and Canada can now access Emergency SOS through Satellite. Next month, the service will be expanded to include France, Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, according to the business. For those who are unaware, this capability enables you to contact emergency services when neither cellular nor Wi-Fi connectivity is available.
Greg Joswiak, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple, issued a statement that read:
“Some of the most well-liked destinations are remote and have no cellular service. The iPhone 14 series offers an essential capability that can help users seek the assistance they require while off the grid with Emergency SOS through satellite. Our teams put forth a lot of effort.
You will be presented with a brief questionnaire while using the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature, and the responses are relayed to dispatchers. Your position, altitude, battery life, and Medical ID are among the many pieces of information that are transmitted. Even when you’re off the grid, you can still share your location in the Find My app thanks to the satellite connectivity. Additionally, it integrates with Apple Watch and iPhone safety features like Fall Detection and Crash Detection.
According to Apple, satellites have a small bandwidth and move swiftly across the sky. Apple created specialised hardware and software that allowed iPhone 14 devices to connect to satellites without cumbersome antennas in order to enable these satellite functions. In order to enhance the user experience, it also used a compression technology to 300 percent reduce messages to satellites. Satellites can receive messages in as little as 15 seconds when the sky is clear.
Apple has included an Emergency SOS via Satellite demo that allows you to test satellite connectivity on your iPhone by connecting to a satellite in the area if you wish to try out the capability. You can learn about the procedure using the demo without really informing emergency services.
